The 2020 nesting season is off to a good start for New Jersey’s bald eagles. As of early March, eagles all over the state are incubating eggs, and a handful of nests have already successfully hatched chicks. The eagle cam at Duke Farms broadcast the first chick there hatching on February 26, and the second chick made its appearance on March 1st.
View of hatchlings from the webcam at Duke Farms
Monitoring bald eagles not only gives us an exciting peek into their lives, it is an important part of their recovery. Almost every nest in the state is closely monitored by a dedicated volunteer. These hard working volunteers logged 3,250 hours and traveled 31,282 miles to make their observations in 2019! Volunteers gather information on nesting behavior to determine egg laying, hatching, and fledge dates to help scientists protect nests and monitor potential threats to the eagles.
The Bald Eagle Project would not be possible without these dedicated volunteers, or our state and corporate partners. CWF biologists work closely with their counterparts at New Jersey’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program, and corporate partners like Wakefern/Shoprite Stores and P&G provide crucial financial and outreach resources to help keep bald eagles soaring above New Jersey.
A special thank you to Suzanne Forbes, Wakefern Food Corp./ ShopRite Sustainability Administrator, and Ron Doyle, P&G Senior Account Representative who recently attended a Bald Eagle Project volunteer meeting to thank the monitors for all their hard work, and present CWF with a check to support the Bald Eagle Project.
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