Arizona’s only satellite-tracked bald eagle returns to the sky
Arizona’s only satellite-tracked bald eagle returns to the sky
After months of rehabilitation and preparation, Arizona’s first adult bald eagle fitted with a satellite GPS transmitter was released June 7 at Watson Lake near Prescott.
The 7-year-old male was found east of Prescott with a wing injury and elevated lead levels and has spent the last two months being treated and rehabilitated at Wild At Heart in Cave Creek.
When the bald eagle was found, it was still carrying a transmitter fitted when the bird was a nestling in 2003. The non-functioning transmitter was replaced with a new solar-powered GPS transmitter prior to the release. The transmitter is lightweight and does not interfere with the bird’s flight or activities.
“This is the first time biologists will have the opportunity to track a non-breeding adult bald eagle in Arizona and learn more about its year-round habits, migrations and possible future breeding activity,” says Kenneth Jacobson, head of the Arizona Game and Fish Department Bald Eagle Management Program. “Most of our data and information has come from young bald eagles and breeding adults, and we have very little tracking data on adult bald eagles prior to breeding or when they are away from their breeding areas.”
Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists and rehabilitation specialists from Wild At Heart released the bird.
Wild At Heart received the bird in March. After recovering from its injuries, rehabilitators there worked with the bird to rebuild muscle strength for flying and ensured it was ready to kill live prey upon release. Now after completing rehabilitation, the eagle was ready to return to the wild and to Arizona’s treasured bald eagle population.
“It’s always exciting to have the opportunity to work with our national symbol, and it will be even more exciting to be able to follow this bird’s movements through the transmitter data,” says Bob Fox of Wild At Heart. “We are honored to have been able to play a role in returning this bald eagle to good health, so that it could return to the wild population.”
Delisted nationally and on the verge of being removed from the endangered species list in Arizona, the state had 52 breeding pairs of bald eagles this year.
The bald eagle population in Arizona has grown nearly 600 percent since it was originally listed on the federal Endangered Species list in 1978, thanks in part to management efforts supported by the Heritage Fund. The Heritage Fund is a voter-passed initiative that was started in 1990 to further wildlife conservation efforts in the state, including protecting endangered species, through Arizona Lottery ticket sales.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department, a leading partner in recovery efforts for the bald eagle, attributes the success to cooperative on-the-ground management, including monitoring and survey flights; recreational area closures during the breeding season; banding and visual identification; contaminants analysis and a nestwatch program to protect breeding activities. Through the Southwest Bald Eagle Management Committee (SWBEMC), a broad coalition of 23 government agencies, private organizations and Native American tribes, a plan is in place to help ensure the continued success of the bald eagle population in Arizona. To complement the management plan, laws are in place to help abate threats to the population, including the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act
Through its partnerships with other public agencies, non-profit organizations and the science community, the department’s wildlife recovery program aims to prevent species from becoming endangered and conserve them in a more cost-effective manner. State-level involvement provides closer oversight of wildlife species on a day-to-day basis. Specific emphasis is placed on identifying and managing the wildlife and habitat of greatest conservation need, or those species that are no longer abundant and facing increasing threats from habitat degradation, disease, introduction of non-native species and climate change.
Adaptive management of these species helps ensure their continued presence in Arizona and protects the delicate balance of the ecosystem for future generations.
