Photo By Matthew Stinson | A GPS transmitter tagging effort at NSF Indian Head is in progress to conserve eagle...... read more read more
The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a large raptor, which can be found in the Chesapeake Bay region year-round. Bald eagles grow to approximately 3 feet in height with a wingspan of over 6 feet, weighing between 8 and 15 pounds. They have a lifespan of 15 to 25 years and are capable of breeding at around 5 years of age. Bald eagles typically nest in tidal locations, close to open water. While the species has been removed from the Federal endangered species list in August 2007, the bald eagle still receives protection under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Throughout Naval District Washington (NDW), multiple Navy installations such as the Naval Air Station Patuxent River Complex (NASPR), Naval Support Facility Indian Head (NSFIH), NSF Dahlgren (NSFDL), and Naval Research Laboratory’s Blossom Point Tracking Facility (NRL BPTF), are surrounded by water. This fact makes them particularly advantageous for bald eagle nesting. For over a decade, a complex and extended effort to inventory, track, and conserve bald eagle populations has been ongoing in NDW. The project, executed in cooperation with the College of William & Mary (W&M), conducts aerial nest surveys for the four aforementioned installations. The aerial surveys serve to document the yearly number of active nests and to assess eaglet productivity for each installation. This data allows Natural Resources Managers (NRM) to accurately quantify the success and stability of the population while ensuring that management/conservation actions are compatible with the installations’ respective missions.
However, the availability of prime eagle habitat also presents additional risks to mission operations. At NASPR, Bird-Aircraft Strike Hazards (BASH) are a constant concern. Consequently, the eagle surveys have also included an eaglet banding component in order to assess BASH risks and/or categorize incidents with respect to the installation’s resident eagle population. Between 2016 and 2020, the air station has experienced three aircraft strikes and two near misses, resulting in millions of dollars in damages and mission delays. In response to a 2019 bald eagle engine ingestion incident, the NASPR aerial surveys and eaglet banding effort was recently expanded to include fitting of GPS transmitters to adult birds. With financial assistance from NASPR Air Operations, NAVFAC Washington was able to quickly modify the cooperative agreement with W&M in response to the growing BASH concern. The incoming data will be used as a means of forecasting and tracking resident and transient eagle activity around the air station, which will allow mission activities to effectively compensate for the fluctuating level of BASH risk.
A GPS transmitter tagging effort at NSF Indian Head is also in progress to conserve eagle populations while benefiting the Navy mission. This installation’s primary concern lies with the abundance of overhead power lines, which various species of birds frequently utilize. Bald eagle casualties are a known consequence of these power lines. As a result, NSF Indian Head is undergoing an underground utilities relocation effort in order reduce eagle mortalities. The GPS tagging data will allow NRMs to advise the utility relocation initiative on which areas pose the greatest threat to bald eagles.
| Date Taken: | 04.21.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 04.21.2021 11:17 |
| Story ID: | 394341 |
| Location: | PATUXENT RIVER, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 314 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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