Category: Birds

Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ in partnership with the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Endangered & Nongame Species Program, is releasing results of the 2019 NJ Bald Eagle nesting season.

2019 was a record year for NJ eagles with the highest number of active nests and young fledged in the history of the project.  This year, 238 eagle nests were monitored, of which 189 were active (laid eggs) and 248 young fledged.  This is the highest number of fledges ever, surpassing the previous high of 216 in 2016.

We owe the incredible amount of information about NJ eagle success to the NJ Eagle Project nest watchers.  An extremely dedicated group of approximately 85 volunteers monitor nests during the season, recording the important dates and watching for possible issues at nest sites.

This season two eagle cams were available to watch on the CWF website:  one at Duke Farms and another at Mercer County Parks.  The Duke Farms nest produced two chicks, and one was outfitted with a satellite transmitter; the movements of this eagle are on CWF’s Eagletrax website . 

More details on the 2019 nesting season will be available in the annual eagle report to be posted by December.  The report will include individual nest data, state totals, and eagle recoveries and resightings.

CWF partners with PSEG, the Mercer County Park Commission, Mercer County Wildlife Center, and Wildlife Center Friends and Duke Farms to protect bald eagles in New Jersey. Thank you to the Wakefern Food Corp./ShopRite Markets, Wells Fargo, Chemours and the American Eagle Foundation for additional eagle program funding.

• NJ Eagle Project
• 2018 NJ Bald Eagle Project Report
• Adopt a Species- Bald Eagle

Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey (CWF), the Asbury Park mayor’s office and public schools, and New Jersey Natural Gas hosted Wildlife Wednesdays Field Experience at North Beach at the end of July. The hands-on, project-based outing taught elementary school students about Asbury Park’s rare wildlife, and how to protect and preserve the environment the kids – and wildlife- call home.

Continue reading “ASBURY PARK STUDENTS EXPERIENCE NATURE ON “WILDLIFE WEDNESDAYS””

The breeding season started off well enough for the peregrine family that star on our Falcon Cam in Jersey City this year. Four eggs were laid, three sisters hatched, were banded and were growing up high atop the skyscraper at 101 Hudson Street. Thousands of viewers enjoyed seeing them flapping and jumping, strengthening their flight muscles for their first flight to fledge from the nest.

Continue reading “THREE SUCCESSFUL FLEDGES MARK THE END OF FRIGHTENING 2019 FALCON CAM SEASON IN JERSEY CITY”

Story by: Alison Levine

Eagle enthusiasts in New Jersey have plenty to celebrate today on National Bald Eagle Day. Thanks to our dedicated Bald Eagle Project volunteers we know that so far this year 96 bald eagles have fledged from their New Jersey nests! Eagles have come a long way in the Garden State since the early 1980s when there was only one active nest in the whole state.

Continue reading “Happy National Bald Eagle Day!”

Story by Alison Levine

Two sets of peregrine falcon chicks were recently banded high atop buildings in Elizabeth, Union County, and Jersey City. Biologists from Conserve Wildlife Foundation (CWF) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP) checked the health and measurements of the falcons, while also placing both United States Geological Service bird bands and state auxiliary bands so the birds can be identified in the future.

NJTV and TAPintoUnion captured the banding in Union County, while News 12 New Jersey and CBS-2 covered the Jersey City banding.

Continue reading “Peregrine Falcon Bandings in Jersey City and Union County: The Importance of Banding Chicks”

Two bald eaglets at the site of our Eagle Cam at Duke Farms were recently banded by biologists from Conserve Wildlife Foundation (CWF) and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Endangered and Nongame Species Program (NJDEP ENSP).

This year’s banding was special, as in addition to a band the male eaglet was also fitted with a transmitter which will allow him to be tracked on our Eagle Trax page.

Kathy Clark, (NJDEP ENSP), and Larissa Smith (CWF) wrote about the experience, and the benefits of transmitters on the Duke Farms blog. Their FAQ’s are reprinted below.

Continue reading “Bald Eagle Banding and Transmitter Attachment at Duke Farms”

By Alison Levine

Update May 30, 2019: Another example of the dangers of fishing (or this time crabbing) line unfolded in dramatic fashion in Tuckahoe Wildlife Management Area. CWF biologist Ben Wurst was called upon to put his climbing skills to the test to help an osprey dangling high above the ground. Thankfully Ben was able to get to the bird in time, and our friends at Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research nursed the osprey back to health and were able to re-release him near where he was found. Read more about the daring rescue on our Facebook page.

As thousands of people plan their trips to the Jersey shore for Memorial Day weekend, it is a good time think about how to help out shore and sea birds. Enjoy the holiday weekend!

The 141 miles of seashore in New Jersey are home – or at least part-time host – to many of the birds Conserve Wildlife Foundation protects and nurtures. Osprey, oystercatchers, black skimmers, piping plovers, red knots, and many others rely on a healthy coast to thrive.

Continue reading “HOW YOU CAN HELP: SHOREBIRDS AND SEABIRDS”

Story by Alison Levine

The third Friday in May has been a celebration of our nation’s wildlife and wild places since 2006, when the United States Congress established the holiday. There is a special urgency this year as the United Nations recently reported that nearly one million species worldwide are at risk of extinction within decades (read our post about the UN report for more information).

One of the main points the report makes is that humans are dangerously degrading Earth’s ecosystems, the delicate, interconnected webs of life that we all, people and wildlife alike, need to survive.

Continue reading “HAPPY ENDANGERED SPECIES DAY!”

By Ben Wurst, CWF Habitat Restoration Manager

Ospreys have made great progress toward recovery in New Jersey, rebounding from a low of 50 nests in 1974 to 589 active nests in 2018. This progress should be celebrated, and victory can and should be declared, as The Press of Atlantic city suggested in their March 1 editorial “Maybe it’s time NJ declares victory in restoration of ospreys.”

But as a biologist who has studied ospreys for many years I also know that declaring victory doesn’t just mean we should walk away and abandon them.

Continue reading “Press of Atlantic City Op-Ed: Osprey recovery successful, but we can still help them thrive, says Ben Wurst”

Story by: Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research

Several weeks ago, a five-week-old bald eagle was found on the ground with its sibling after a severe storm, their nest destroyed, and the eaglets were transported to us for professional care. Other than being slightly dehydrated, one nestling was healthy.

Continue reading “A New Nest for a Baby Bald Eagle”