Bald Eagle Watch
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Volunteer News: Thank you to all the volunteers who are currently monitoring
our nests and incubating adults!
Program Information:
Thanks to the work of many agencies and their education and outreach efforts, Colorado
is now home to many resident and migrant Bald Eagles. However, this was not always
the case. In 1974, there was only one breeding pair of Bald Eagles existing in Colorado
and their population across the nation was suffering a serious decline. In 1976,
the Bald Eagle was officially listed as "endangered" under the Endangered Species
Act. Today, through the concerted efforts of many agencies and individuals, Bald
Eagle numbers have increased and there are currently over 90 breeding pair in the
state. Populations have recovered so well that in June 2007 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service removed the Bald Eagle from the Endangered Species List. Delisting does
not mean that we do not care about the Bald Eagles; rather it gives an opportunity
for us to continue to monitor the population so that we ensure it remains viable.
Of the many Front Range nests, the Barr Lake nest is the most well known. The nest
was first discovered in 1986 when a pair of bald eagles was observed adding sticks
to a nest. This was the first known nest located on the Colorado Front Range and
one of only ten in the state. After three years of trying, the eagle pair successfully
nested in 1989, fledging two eaglets. Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory’s Bald Eagle
Watch was started in 1988 to monitor and help protect this special nest. Since then,
the Bald Eagle Watch has recorded offspring produced nearly every year at this nest
location. From 1989 – 2008, 36 eaglets have fledged from the Barr Lake Nest.
Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory monitors various eagle nests across the Colorado
Front Range to provide information to biologists on the nesting success of the Colorado
population. With the aid of numerous volunteers, each spring and summer the Bald
Eagle Watch team collects nesting data from January through July. Many aspects of
the breeding cycle such as courtship, incubation, feeding of nestlings, and fledging
of the juveniles are recorded. .If you are interested in learning more about Bald
Eagles in Colorado, we suggest any one of the following:
•
View the Bald Eagle Watch 2008 report
• Become a Bald Eagle Watch Volunteer in 2010.
• Purchase a Bald Eagle educational activity booklet
• Participate in a Bald Eagle Watch Field Trip, please cotact kacie.ehrenberger@rmbo.org
• Contact the Bald Eagle Watch Project Coordinator: Cindi Kelly at cindi.bew@rmbo.org
• More information about Bald Eagles
• Enter Data
For More Information on the Bald Eagle Nest Monitoring Program:
Bald Eagle Watch Coordinator
P.O. Box 1232
Brighton, CO 80601-1232
tel: (303) 659-4348
fax: (303) 659-0791
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