For this reason a research team led by of U.S. Forest Service scientist Teryl Grubb successfully captured and instrumented the first of six adult bald eagles with GPS devices during a recent winter trapping effort in Michigan.
One of the first to be outfitted with the non-encumbering lightweight device, which resembles a tiny bird backpack, was an adult female eagle. She was fitted with a solar powered transmitter that records GPS locations four times per hour, and downloads data daily to the nearest cell tower. The data will provide amazing precision in bald eagle behavior patterns and habitat use.
Although more is known about the golden eagle and wind turbine mortality, very little is known about the bald eagle’s interactions with wind farms. It is hoped by Grubb and other scientists that the knowledge gained from monitoring bald eagles can be used by the wind-energy industry to make informed decisions on effective ways to reduce eagle fatalities at their facilities.
