Movements of Rehabilitated Bald Eagles and Proposed Seasonal Movement Patterns of Bald Eagles in the Pacific Northwest
Abstract
Eleven rehabilitated Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) that had been in captivity for various lengths of time were released on the Skagit River in western Washington. They were fitted with colored patagial markers for determining regional movements. Eagles were sighted in both interior and coastal British Columbia and in Puget Sound. A total of 30 reports were received from outside the Skagit Valley. The most distant report was 332 km from the release site, and at least one eagle was still wearing color markers one year after release.
Regional movement patterns of the Bald Eagles in the Pacific Northwest are discussed and a general theory of seasonal movements is proposed for coastal and interior eagle populations of the Northwest. The probable origins of the eagles that winter on the Skagit River and possible migration routes of this population are considered.
