Tracking Young Bald Eagle “Nacote” throughout the Garden State
by Larissa Smith, wildlife biologist
On April 8th, Kelly Hunt was photographing four bald eagles at Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), two adult birds and two immature birds. When she got home and looked at the photos she realized that one of the young birds was banded and had a transmitter. It was “Nacote” back in his home area. “Nacote” was banded and outfitted with a transmitter on May 6, 2014 at the Galloway nest. Since then we have been tracking his movements on the CWF website. These photos give a great look at what the plumage of a bald eagle going into its third year looks like. You’ll also notice that the eyes and bill haven’t yet turned yellow.
Learn More:
- Tracking New Jersey’s Bald Eagles
- New Jersey Wildlife Telemetry Study Tracks Bald Eagles on Journeys Across Hemisphere
Larissa Smith is a wildlife biologist for Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey.