Bald Eagles

Background

Photo showing adult Bald Eagle and chick in nest on Santa Cruz Island.

Adult Bald Eagle with chick in nest at Pelican Harbor on Santa Cruz Island.

Historically, Bald Eagles nested and lived among all of the Channel Islands. However, by the early 1960s, Bald Eagles disappeared from the Channel Islands due to human impacts, including the introduction of DDTs and other contaminants into the environment. The overall goal of this restoration effort is to create a self-sustaining population of Bald Eagles on the Channel Islands. Restoration efforts on Catalina Island have been conducted since 1980, and efforts on the northern Channel Islands began in 2002. The restoration of the Bald Eagle back to the Channel Islands has been a major focus of the Montrose Settlements Restoration Program (MSRP) over the past decade.

Watch a film about Bald Eagle restoration on the Channel Islands!

Bald Eagle Restoration Project

Northern Channel Islands Feasibility Study

From 2002 to 2006, MSRP partnered with the Institute for Wildlife Studies to release 61 Bald Eagle juveniles on Santa Cruz Island. Since their release on Santa Cruz Island, the eagles have dispersed among the Channel Islands and nests have now been documented on Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa and Anacapa Islands.

Monitoring

Biologists monitor Bald Eagles throughout the Channel Islands, including Catalina, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and Anacapa Islands. Annual monitoring involves searching for new nesting pairs, collecting data on breeding attempts, tracking eagles, and conducting contaminant analysis. Prior

Photo showing first Bald Eagle on Anacapa Island since 1960.

First known Bald Eagle to hatch on Anacapa Island since 1960. Photo was taken in 2011.

to a chick fledging from a nest, biologists place wing markers, a leg band, and GPS or VHF radio transmitter onto the eaglets. They also take blood samples for contaminant and stable isotope analysis. This information helps biologists to monitor the movements and health of the Bald Eagle chicks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bald Eagle Restoration Project Updates

Nest Monitoring

In 2006, two nests were documented on Santa Cruz Island, marking the first successful breeding attempts in the northern Channel Islands in over 50 years. The survival and successful fledging of the two chicks in 2006 was a significant milestone for Bald Eagle recovery on the Channel Islands.

In 2007, another significant milestone was reached in the restoration program with two Bald Eagle chicks successful hatching on Catalina Island. Starting in 2009, all the nests on Catalina Island were left to hatch naturally on their own and a total of eight chicks successfully hatched. Bald Eagle breeding pairs have increased every year. In 2011, there were a total of 13 active pairs across the Channel Islands, including seven on Catalina Island, three on Santa Cruz Island, two on Santa Rosa Island, and one on Anacapa Island. A total of 14 chicks hatched, and of those, 12 eaglets successfully fledged. Approximately 60 Bald Eagles currently reside on the Channel Islands.

Bald Eagle Movements

Biologists use GPS and VHF radio transmitters and visual surveys to follow the movements of Bald Eagles around the Channel Islands and the mainland. In 2010, 47 Bald Eagles were seen on the islands and another 11 were followed using GPS data. Most of the Bald Eagles with GPS data stay around the islands but some have been tracked as far as northern California, Washington, Wyoming, and Nevada.

Contamination Levels

Blood samples were collected from all birds released on Santa Cruz Island around 11-12 weeks of age to have a baseline level of contaminants in their blood. Biologists successfully recaptured seven bald eagles on the northern Channel Islands since 2002 to observe any increases in contaminant levels. Recaptured individuals showed a significant increase in DDT levels compared to baseline levels. The question of whether or not such increases impacts their reproduction will continue to be monitored over time.

Project Reports

Press Releases