From Journey North Bald Eagle FAQ's

Want to know more about the chick and parents? Check the Eagle FAQ's. If you don't see an answer to your question, please feel free to e-mail them to creznicek@vcoe.org

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FAQs- Bald Eagles on Santa Cruz Island

Updated April 11, 2008

Questions about the EagleCAM and Bald Eagle Restoration Effort

Q) What is the EagleCAM?

A) The EagleCAM is a live web camera that is focused on a bald eagle nest located near Pelican Harbor on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park , California . This camera is being funded by the Montrose Settlements Restoration Program (MSRP), in partnership with the Institute for Wildlife Studies (IWS), Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE), National Park Service (NPS), San Francisco Zoo (SF Zoo), and The Nature Conservancy (TNC).

The project partners wish to thank the dedicated EagleCAM viewers (A-49 Cruzers) whom spend countless hours watching the nest and sharing their informative observations on the EagleCAM discussion forum.

Q) Why are you restoring bald eagles?

A) Bald eagles disappeared from the Channel Islands in the 1960s, mainly as a result of human pressures and the release of millions of pounds of DDTs and PCBs into the ocean off of the Palos Verdes Peninsula . Although releases ended in the 1970s, the chemicals continue to contaminate the local marine food web, and can cause the eagles to lay thin-shelled eggs that dry out or break during incubation.

In 1980, an effort to restore bald eagles back to the Channel Islands began on Catalina Island . Starting in 2002, this effort was expanded to the northern Channel Islands and a total of 59 bald eagles were released onto Santa Cruz Island between 2002 and 2006. As a top predator, bald eagles are an important component of the Channel Islands ecosystem.

Questions about the Adult Pair (K-10 and K-26)

Q) Where are these birds from?

A) K-10 is a male that was fostered into the Twin Rocks nest on Catalina Island in 2001. He was seen on the mainland from 2001-2004 and on Santa Cruz Island in 2005. K-26 is a female that was fostered into the West End nest on Catalina Island in 2002. She was observed on the mainland in 2002 and was later seen on Santa Cruz Island in February 2005.

Q) How old are they ?

A) K-10 is 7 years old and K-26 is 6 years old.

Q) When did they start using this nest?

A) The pair started using the nest in 2006 and successfully hatched the first chick (A-49) in over 50 years on the Channel Islands .

Q) When is the bald eagle mating season?

A) The bald eagle breeding season in southern California runs from January through July. There can be some nest maintenance as early as December.

Questions about the 2008 Pelican Harbor Chicks

Q) When did the eggs hatch?

A) The first egg hatched on April 1 and the second egg hatched on April 3. This was after approximately 35 days of incubation. This is the first time that this pair has successfully hatched two eggs. In the last 2 previous years, only one egg has hatched.

Q) Is it likely that both chicks will survive?

A) It is common for bald eagles to successfully fledge 2 chicks from a nest. However, the older eaglet is typically larger and thus can compete better for food. It is more likely that a sibling would starve in a 3-chick nest, especially if food is limited. On the Channel Islands, there is an abundant food supply and bald eagle pairs on Catalina Island have successfully raised two chicks on many occasions. At the Pelican Harbor nest, although the younger chick is smaller, he/she is getting its share of food and is growing well.

Q) When will the chicks be banded?

A) IWS biologists will band the chicks at 8 weeks of age (sometime at the end of May). We will post the exact date on the discussion forum.

Q) When will the chicks fledge ?

A) Most bald eagles fledge around 12 weeks of age. We anticipate these eaglets to fledge in early-mid June.

General Questions about the Pelican Harbor Nest

Q) How big is the nest?

A) Nest structure circumference = 4.25 meters; diameter at widest point = 1.9 meters; diameter at narrowest point = 1.3 meters; nest material depth max/min = 0.7 / 0.4 meters.

Q) What is the nest made of?

A) The nest structure is constructed of mostly pine and manzanita sticks, with a nest cup area primarily of grass and mineral soil. Prey remains found in the nest include seagull feathers and an assortment of fish scales. The nest is located on the top of a Bishop Pine.

Q) How high up from the ground is the nest? Is it "instinct" that stops the chick from falling out?

A) The nest is approximately 10 meters off the ground in the top of a pine tree. Chicks will perch on the edge of the nest, but instinct keeps them from falling off!

Q) Do the mother and father come to the nest to help teach the eaglet how to fly, or will the eaglet learn on its own?

A) The eaglet will take its first flight all by itself. Although an eaglet has been watching its parents fly from the nest for several months, instinct will take over for its first flight. The eaglet will do lots of wing exercises and will take short practice flights across the nest to develop muscle strength. Typically for its first flight, an eaglet will fly to a nearby branch or land on the ground.

Q) There is no shade available to the chick in the nest. Is it normal for eagles to be in the sun constantly?

A) The adults will shade the chick to avoid heat stress and will also shield the chick during inclement whether. However, as the chick gets bigger it is more difficult for the adults to shade the chick. Bald eagles are able to withstand full sunshine because they can control their temperature by panting with their mouth open or through heat loss through the unfeathered legs and feet.

Q) Are both parents involved in feeding the chick?

A) Both parents will bring fish and seabirds back to the nest. At around 6 weeks of age, eaglets learn how to feed themselves.

Q) Do the parents feed the eaglet once it has fledged?

A) Yes. Eaglets will generally remain in their parents' territory for about a month before starting to explore on their own. Feedings take place at the nest and anywhere else the eaglet can get the adults to drop food.

2007 Season and A-63 (Limuw) Related Questions

Q) Why was this chick named A-63?

A) This chick was the 64th bird to be released/produced on the northern Channel Islands since the reintroduction project started in 2002 (the first bird being A-00).

Q) When was A-63 banded?

A) IWS biologists banded the eaglet on June 8, 2007 when he was approximately 8 weeks old.

Q) When did A-63 fledge?

A) A-63 fledged on June 28, 2007- the same day the bald eagle was delisted from the Endangered Species Act. He was almost 11 weeks old.

Q) Where is A-63 now?

A) A-63 was exploring Santa Cruz Island until he left for the mainland on August 8, 2007. He quickly flew through California to Nevada and into Idaho ! Sadly, A-63 was found dead on August 15, 2007, on a highway in northern Nevada .

2006 Season and A-49 (Cruz) Related Questions

Q) What does the “49” stand for on the tag?

A) A-49 is the 50th bird to be released/produced on the northern Channel Islands since the reintroduction project started in 2002 (the first bird being A-00). It is a great coincidence that this is the first chick that hatched naturally on the Channel Islands since 1949.

Q) How do we get updates on A-49?

A) IWS biologists post updates about the eagles to the discussion forum and on their webpage at www.iws.org . Because A-49 has a GPS unit on, biologists are able to closely track her movements. The GPS unit will record location information about 14 times per day and uploaded it to a satellite every third day, at which time IWS biologists can access it via computer.

Q) Where is A-49 now?

A) A-49 has been seen flying between the northern Channel Islands and has visited the mainland once.

Q) How often did A-49 get fed in the nest?

A) The adults bring usually bring at least 2-3 fish to the nest each day. They also bring back quite a few seabirds to the nest.

Q) When did A-49 fledge?

A) A-49 fledged on July 14, 2006. After A-49 flew off the nest tree, she lost a little altitude, flapped, circled, and disappeared behind the ridge the nest tree is on.

Q) How old was A-49 when she fledged?

A) A-49 was 13.5 weeks old when she fledged. Usually eagles will fledge between 11-12 weeks. Perhaps the chick's lack of food during the first three days after hatching is why it took so long to fledge.

Q) What is sticking out of A-49s back?

A) All of the bald eagles released or produced on Santa Cruz Island have an antenna sticking out of its back that is part of a backpack-mounted transmitter package. The package consists of two components: a 70 gram solar-powered GPS transmitter and a small VHF radio, which is attached to the side of the GPS unit.

Questions re Other Bald Eagles on the Northern Channel Islands

Q) How many nests are there on Santa Cruz Island ?

A) There are currently 3 known nest sites- the Pelican Harbor site, Malva Real (a.k.a. grassland) ,and the Sauces Canyon site.

Malva Real - The pair A-04 (female) and K-11 (male) successfully nested at this site in 2006. This site is unique because it is one of the only known nesting sites on the ground! The chick from the 2006 season (A-60) is doing well and is residing on the northern Channel Islands . In 2007, the pair again attempted to nest on the ground in the same area, but the nest failed. In 2008, they laid 2 eggs in similar location and we anticipate them to hatch during the week of April 7 th .

Sauces Canyon - This is a new nest site on Santa Cruz Island in 2008. The female (A-02) was born at the San Francisco Zoo and was released on Santa Cruz Island in 2002. The male (A-28) was born in Alaska and was released on Santa Cruz Island in 2004. This is the first all Santa Cruz Island eagle nest (both eagles were released on Santa Cruz Island ). Unfortunately, the first-time nesters failed in 2008.

Q) How many bald eagles have been released on Santa Cruz Island ?

A) A total of 61 eagles were released/produced on Santa Cruz Island from 2002-2007 and approximately 35-40 eagles remain on the Northern Channel Islands .

Q) What about bald eagles nesting on the other Channel Islands ?

There are also bald eagles nesting on Santa Rosa and Catalina Island .

Santa Rosa Island - In 2008, a bald eagle nest on Santa Rosa Island was discovered . The female (A-22) was born at the San Francisco Zoo and was released on Santa Cruz Island in 2004. The male (A-08) was born in Alaska and was released on Santa Cruz Island in 2002.

Catalina Island - There are a total of 6 active breeding territories on Catalina Island: Twin Rocks, Seal Rocks, Pinnacle Rocks, Two Harbors , Rattlesnake, and West End .

Q) Will you analyze the chick's blood for contaminants?

A) We will test for a range of contaminants, but will focus on DDTs, PCBs, and heavy metals. We are particularly interested in the levels of DDT because this is the chemical that causes the eagles to lay thin-shelled eggs that dry out or break during incubation.

Q) What are the wing tags made of?

A) The wing markers are made of a vinyl covered polyester called Shelterite. They are very light and are folded over the front of the wing and attached through the patagium with a small stud usually used for putting eartags on piglets. There are few nerves and blood vessels in the patagium, so the attachment is quick and painless . The Bird Banding Lab designates the colors and codes that can be used in different areas. Light blue tags with a small "A" and a 2-digit number are used for birds released/produced on the northern Channel Islands, and orange tags with a small "K" and a 2-digit number are used for birds from Catalina Island.

General Bald Eagle Questions

Q) When do eagles get their white heads?

A) Bald eagles get their distinctive white head feathers around 4-5 years of age.

Q) How large can a bald eagle get?

A) By the time a bald eagle leaves the nest, it will be almost full grown. The wingspan of a bald eagle ranges from 6-8 feet and they can weigh between 8-14 pounds.

Q) How do you tell the sex of the bald eagle?

A) Biologists will take a series of measurements of the eagle which will give a good indication if the bird is male or female. However, a DNA test is done to make the final determination.

Q) Is it normal for eagles to lie on their side?

A) Yes. Eagles will rest and sleep lying down.