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Bald Eagle Watch
Overview: Thanks to the work of many agencies and their education and outreach efforts, Colorado is now home to many resident and migrant Bald Eagles. This was not always the case.
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For more information or to volunteer, contact:
Cindi Kelly
Bald Eagle Watch Coordinator
14500 Lark Bunting Lane
Brighton, CO 80601
303-659-4348 ext. 13
cindi.kelly[at]rmbo.com
All Bald Eagle Watch volunteers must attend training January 21st, 2012 at RMBO's Old Stone House at Barr Lake near Brighton, Colo.
Volunteers monitor designated nests weekly for a minimum of one hour from February to July, fill out data sheets, and enter data into an online reporting system. It is helpful if volunteers can provide their own spotting scope or binoculars.
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- In 1974, only one breeding pair of Bald Eagles existed in Colorado, and their population across the nation was suffering a serious decline.
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In 1976, the Bald Eagle was officially listed as "endangered" under the Endangered Species Act.
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Through the concerted efforts of many agencies and individuals, Bald Eagle numbers have increased, and more than 90 breeding pair are now in Colorado.
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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. De-listing does not mean that we do not care about the Bald Eagles; rather it gives us an opportunity to continue to monitor the population to ensure it remains viable.
 Of the many Front Range nests, the Barr Lake nest is the most well known. The nest was discovered in 1986 when a pair of bald eagles was observed adding sticks to it. This was the first known nest on the Colorado Front Range and one of only 10 in the state. After three years, 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 nearly every year at this nest location. From 1989 – 2008, 36 eaglets fledged from the Barr Lake Nest.
RMBO monitors various eagle nests across the Front Range to provide information to biologists on the nesting success of the Colorado population. The Bald Eagle Watch team of volunteers collects nesting data from January through July. Many aspects of the breeding cycle are recorded, such as courtship, incubation, feeding of nestlings, and fledging of the juveniles.
(Photo by Joe Kelly)
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