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Brood of peregrine chicks in Gull Marsh nest box. |
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Conservation in conflict: Peregrines vs. red knots
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Urban sprawl on the Potomac River's shores reduces habitat for wildlife like bald eagle. |
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Eagle economics & the burden of conservation success
Full story at CCB's online newsletter
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A blackpoll warbler caught in a mist net |
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Shrubland migrants on the Eastern Shore of Virginia NWRAlong the Atlantic Coast, significant barriers such as large bodies of water act as migration bottlenecks funneling large numbers of birds onto relatively small land masses. For southbound migrants, the Chesapeake Bay is one of the largest physical barriers along the East Coast of North America. Many of these birds depend on habitats found within the lower peninsula for rest and refueling before leaving on the next leg of their migration. In the fall of 2009, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service initiated a study of shrubland migrants within a network of several refuges including the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge. |
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Red knots foraging in the surf, several wearing leg tags for resight identification |
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Red knot resight data indicates flux between two migration staging areasMost research concerning possible explanations for the decline of the rufa subspecies of the red knot has focused on the foraging conditions within Delaware Bay. The diet of red knots staging along the Virginia Barrier Islands differs from that of knots in Delaware Bay. In Delaware Bay, red knots feast on horseshoe crab eggs, but in Virginia's islands, on bivalves within the intertidal zone. CCB researchers have found that birds are moving between these two staging areas, implying that the migration ecology of this population may be more flexible than previously thought and highlights the importance of the entire mid-Atlantic Coast for this declining species. |
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Adult brown pelican sitting on a nest |
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Flexibility of cormorant & pelican diet assemblagesUnderstanding the ecological role that birds play in the Chesapeake Bay has been a dominant theme for research conducted by CCB. In recent years, CCB has collaborated with researchers from the Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia on a NOAA-funded project to evaluate bird-fish interactions within the Chesapeake Bay with a focus on menhaden. During the 2009 breeding season, we investigated the diet of breeding double-crested cormorants and brown pelicans nesting within the main stem of the Bay. |
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Adult male bald eagle named Nanjemoy (banded purple N/3 by CCB), flying above the reservoir and then catching a fish at Conowingo Dam.
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Conowingo Dam, a hotspot for eagle resightsThe spillway below the Conowingo Dam near the mouth of the Susquehanna River is likely the best eagle viewing location in Eastern North America. It attracts non-breeding eagles from populations along the entire Atlantic Coast. Though numbers peak around 300 in the late fall and winter, there are thousands of eagles that pass through this site over the course of a year. The site is an important data collection site for eagle researchers. Resighting of banded birds has contributed a great deal to what we know about species’ dispersal/movement patterns and survivorship. Conowingo provides an opportunity to simultaneously watch eagles and contribute to ongoing research by reading and reporting band combinations. |
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Bryan Watts, Director of The Center for Conservation Biology, holds a satellite-tagged adult female bald eagle before her release.
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Get involved with CCB in one of many ways!Besides joining our e-mewsletter mailing list, and becoming part of the CCB Conservation Network, we have several other new ways to get involved. Shop online at GiveBackAmerica's charity mall Adopt a bald or golden eagle
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Logo copyright |
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Share CCB's E-Newsletter with friends & colleagues
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The Center for Conservation Biology's quarterly online newsletter, Conservation Cornerstones, follows CCB's tradition of high-quality outreach through scientific reports and publications. We appreciate this chance to share our recent research news with you, our valued network, and others interested in conservation work. Help CCB to reach interested groups or individuals by forwarding this email or sending your friends the link to subscribe.
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Banner image of a satellite-tagged Bald Eagle in flight, courtesy of Charlie Volz at Aberdeen Proving Ground.
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