The Annual Wintering Golden Eagle Survey is conducted on the third Saturday in January. The survey is part of an on-going project to learn more about the golden eagle population in the blufflands region. Golden eagles were not previously considered regular inhabitants of this area. For the last eight years, the Wintering Golden Eagle Survey has gathered important data to confirm a regular wintering population of golden eagles in the blufflands of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.
Browse the images below to see the survey areas in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. e.g WI 05 indicates route area 5 in Wisconsin. Average survey results for each area are included in parentheses after the survey route number. e.g. WI-05 (20.3)
The Golden Eagle Project is also tracking golden eagles using GPS satellite transmitters to find out more about migration and possible breeding origin of these birds. Tracking maps are available online at Golden Eagle Tracking.
The Golden Eagle Project is a partnership of the National Eagle Center and Audubon Minnesota with support from the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources and United States Fish and Wildlife Service and funding through Minnesota’s Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.
To find out more about the Golden Eagle Project or to volunteer with the Annual Survey, contact Project Co-Coordinator Scott Mehus at the National Eagle Center, [email protected] or 651-565-4989.
