For the first time, The Raptor Center released three juvenile bald eagles with GPS backpack devices. Since their release in January, we have collected data on the success of our rehabilitation methods, and continue to follow the behaviors of young eagles in their first few years of life.

All three birds did great after release. As the team watches the data arrive during the start of this research, we are more curious about the lives of young eagles than when we started!

We have been elated to see the distances our eagles are flying after recovering from each of their injuries. In one single day, one eagle flew approximately 250 miles, and there have been multiple instances of all three traveling 150 miles or more in a single day. Two of the birds have been traveling north to Canada on a similar timeline (within a week of each other) and crossing the border in a similar area, leaving us to question if they are following something or other adult eagles.

In these early days of our GPS tracking project, we don’t yet know what drives their movements and how they decide to move from one location to another. We are excited to see what more we can learn in the future.

Over the next few years, we will share periodic updates about these three eagles as we observe their continued movements and patterns of behavior, and how we utilize this data in furthering our mission.

Looking to the future, our hospital is preparing for the use of GPS-enabled backpacks for post-release monitoring. Unlike bands, GPS backpacks provide real-time data, offering a wealth of information.

Our research question is focused on our release technique for birds that are admitted before they are independent from their parents, and are unable to be reunited with their parents following recovery. Each year, we release these young birds into the wintering congregations of eagles near open water so they can observe adults and develop the hunting and other life skills they need to survive. 

Bands, while important, fail to tell us the whole story of a bird's life post-release. Unfortunately, the return rate for bands is low—less than 10 percent for raptors—because the band must be recovered, typically when the bird is found deceased or recaptured.

The purpose of post-release monitoring is simple yet crucial: to determine if rehabilitated birds are thriving after they’re released back into the wild.

The mission at The Raptor Center (TRC) goes beyond rescuing and rehabilitating raptors. Its staff strives to practice evidence-based medicine, ensuring that every step taken in its raptor rehabilitation hospital is grounded in scientific research. Since its start 50 years ago, the field of raptor medicine is still developing, and scientific data is often scarce. This is where post-release monitoring becomes a vital tool.

This research will enhance understanding of raptor rehabilitation and strengthen our ability to contribute to the conservation of these majestic birds. By combining past experiences with this technology, TRC is poised to make even greater strides in ensuring released raptors continue to soar.