Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is circulating once again this winter and has already been confirmed in New Jersey in Canada geese, Snow geese, and Bald eagles. This virus primarily affects birds and can spread quickly among species that congregate in large numbers or come into close contact with one another.
Waterfowl and raptors — especially scavengers like bald eagles — are particularly vulnerable. Eagles are often exposed when feeding on infected waterfowl or carcasses, which increases the risk of illness and mortality. Monitoring and reporting cases is critical for tracking the spread of the disease and protecting both wildlife and domestic animals.
Members of the public are urged to report sick or dead birds, especially waterfowl and raptors.
Sick or dead bald eagles should be reported immediately to the NJDEP at 1-877-WARN-DEP (1-877-927-6337).
Please remember that precautions should always be taken when encountering sick or dead birds, particularly during the winter months. Avoid direct contact whenever possible. If handling is unavoidable, wear a face mask and disposable gloves, and be sure to disinfect boots and equipment afterward.
Staying informed and reporting observations helps wildlife agencies respond effectively and protects New Jersey’s birds during this ongoing outbreak. For more information, visit the NJ Department of Agriculture’s HPAI page.
The New Jersey Bald Eagle nesting season is finished for the year, so both the eagles and volunteer nest monitors now get a few months rest. Conserve Wildlife Foundation and the NJ ENSP hosted the annual eagle volunteer get-together at the Assunpink WMA this past Saturday. Forty-five volunteers attended and enjoyed discussing the season with fellow nest monitors and NJ eagle project staff.
On behalf of the NJ Eagle Project we thank all the 160 nest monitors who are dedicated to monitoring and protecting the NJ bald eagle population.
Thank you to Barb & Rick McKee for providing sandwiches and everyone who generously brought delicious side dishes and desserts to share.
The 2025 New Jersey Bald Eagle nesting season is finished. We are still gathering up the data for the final numbers which will be published in the annual NJ Bald Eagle Project Report. The 160 eagle project nest monitors spend countless hours monitoring eagle nests through out New Jersey. I’ve asked the nest monitors to share two of their favorite photos from the 2025 nesting season. Enjoy.
Please click on the first photo to see the Slideshow:
Tiny terrapins, most only measuring a few inches in length, were introduced to their new marshy homes this May thanks to the Little Egg Harbor School District and Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. For a few months, teachers and their students cared for the young turtles and, in doing so, gave them the extra boost that they needed to face life in the wild.
by Larissa Smith Senior Wildlife Biologist Posted on
photo by Bill Reinert
Shorebird stewards may not wear capes but they are superhero’s to the multitude of shorebirds stopping along the Delaware Bay in the spring. During May, the beaches in New Jersey are an important stopover for these migratory birds who are mainly feeding on the horseshoe crab eggs, deposited during the annual horseshoe crab spawn. The shorebirds, which include the red knot a NJ endangered species, have a short window to reach their ideal weight before leaving on the next half of their journey north to breed. Eight beaches in Cape May County and two in Cumberland County have restricted access during the migration so that the shorebirds can feed undisturbed.
photo by Dom Manalo
Since 2003 Conserve Wildlife Foundation has coordinated the Shorebird Stewards, who help protect the feeding shorebirds by educating the public. This season thirty-one stewards were stationed at beaches between May 10th to May 26th. While most stewards are from New Jersey, we have stewards from Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. Some of the stewards volunteer for a day, while others work the entire season and many return year after year. No matter how often someone has been a steward, they have a made a difference and we have definitely seen a positive change in peoples attitudes over the years. Visitors come from all over to view the shorebirds and horseshoe crabs and one of the main questions the stewards get asked is, “where are the shorebirds today”?
photo by Luke Tan
Some days the beach where the steward is assigned has only few shorebirds, while other days the beach is covered with the feeding birds. While the majority of beach goers have a positive attitude about the beach restrictions, there will always be those that want to go on the beach. While these situation aren’t always pleasant, the stewards are trained to handle them calmly and with education.
Earlier today, we joined our partners from Union County and NJDEP Fish & Wildlife to band the four young peregrine falcons produced at the Union County Courthouse in downtown Elizabeth. The four eyases are right around four weeks old and prime age for banding. After ascending to the roof, viewers of the live stream on YouTube watched as we carefully bagged each nestling and brought them inside the building.
We’re thrilled to see the fourth and final peregrine falcon egg hatch atop the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth via the Union County Falcon Cam. The nest is now bustling with activity as proud parents Frida and Mango care for their four fluffy eyases.
The first three chicks, now nearly a week old, are growing rapidly—peregrine falcon chicks can double their weight within just six days of hatching. The newest hatchling, only a day old, is already being attentively brooded and fed by the adult. At this early stage, the chicks are covered in soft white down and rely entirely on their parents for warmth and nourishment.
Over the coming weeks, these eyases will continue to grow quickly, developing juvenile feathers and strengthening their muscles in preparation for fledging. Typically, peregrine falcons fledge around 6 to 7 weeks of age, so we can expect these chicks to take their first flights in early to mid-June.
Stay tuned to the Union County Falcon Cam to witness these remarkable developments in real-time. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the life cycle of one of nature’s most formidable aerial predators!
Exciting news for osprey watchers—Duke has returned! This morning, the longtime male of our Barnegat Light Osprey Cam returned to his home on Long Beach Island after an incredible journey south for the winter. After months of migration, crossing thousands of miles between New Jersey and the tropics, Duke is back to reclaim his territory. But this year, there’s a twist—a new female is waiting for him!
His previous mate, Daisy, has not yet been spotted, and while we don’t know much about this new female (since she’s unbanded), we’ll be closely observing her iris and feather patterns to track her identity. Today, Duke wasted no time settling in—he was seen feeding on his perch, interacting with the newcomer, and lounging in the nest bowl (classic Duke). If Daisy doesn’t return, he will likely form a new pair bond with this female, marking a fresh chapter in his long and successful life.
Peregrine falcons, once on the brink of extinction in the eastern U.S., have made a remarkable comeback thanks to conservation efforts throughout the region. Urban nesting sites like the Union County Courthouse provide a safe haven for these raptors, offering protection from human disturbance and plentiful food sources. Over the next several weeks, the dedicated parents will take turns keeping the eggs warm until they hatch, bringing new life to downtown Elizabeth.
As we welcome spring’s renewal, we also celebrate the resilience of these magnificent birds. Join us in watching their life cycle unfold via the Union County Falcon Cam. We are thankful to continue our partnership with Union County to help stream this live view and share their incredible life history with the world.
Ospreys are migrating north and will soon begin another nesting season in New Jersey. Earlier this year, their conservation status was upgraded from threatened to stable by NJDEP. This marks a tremendous success in the restoration of ospreys, management of their nesting structures, and vast improvements in the health of our aquatic ecosystems, and the efforts of many devoted environmental professionals and osprey lovers throughout the state. Results from 2024, show that ospreys had favorable conditions for their continued growth and success.
To track the health of the osprey population, each year project staff, volunteers, and citizen scientists collect data on nest occupancy and nest success. Most colonies are surveyed by devoted volunteers who use a ladder to access a nest and determine the outcome. Others are surveyed from a distance using optics or other visual aides, including digital cameras and unmanned aerial systems. Citizen scientists, who contribute observations of nest activity online through www.osprey-watch.org play a crucial role in determining the overall size and health of the state population, as many document nest success in areas where previous nest surveys were not conducted. Moving forward, theses passionate volunteers will play a more important role in monitoring ospreys and their continued success.
Three natural osprey nests within Sedge Island WMA. July 2024.
Overall, results from our surveys recorded a total of 729 nests that were occupied. The majority of nests monitored had increased productivity, which is a stark contrast from what was observed in 2022 and 2023, when most colonies had decreased productivity. This highlights how severe weather, specifically nor’easters, can affect the overall productivity of coastal nesting ospreys, where most osprey nests are located in New Jersey. With no severe weather, the average statewide productivity was normal at 1.63 young/active [known outcome] nest.
As reported last year, observations of adult females not laying eggs at prompted us to conduct some early season surveys in some colonies. A survey that we conducted on Barnegat Bay revealed that 40% of the nests surveys had no eggs or young, which normally had young in previous years. Similar findings were reported in the Great Egg Harbor colony and also in areas of the Chesapeake Bay, which is even more alarming. We still don’t know what caused the reduction in egg-laying females and delayed incubation. More investigation and future monitoring is warranted.
In general, ospreys had a productive season, with the outcome being determined in 73% of the nests surveyed in 2024. Those pairs (533) produced a total of 867 young. A total of 101 (12%) nestlings were banded for future tracking, 35 of which with both federal and red auxiliary, field readable bands at nests on Barnegat Bay. 89 nests were determined to have failed to produce young. This means they either had eggs or nestlings and they were lost.
Osprey 26/H, a seven year old male nesting at Sedge Island WMA. July 2024.
Osprey Band Recoveries
Each year a small portion of young ospreys are banded with federal bird bands for future tracking. Encounters with banded birds is infrequent, unless they are found injured or dead, mainly because the bands are very difficult to read on live birds. With Project RedBand, an osprey banding and re-sighting project on Barnegat Bay, we have seen more encounters with live ospreys than those that are injured/dead. This is a direct result of banding birds with red “field readable” auxiliary bands, which can be read from a distance using a spotting scope or a telephoto lens on a digital camera. In 2024, 41 ospreys that were banded as nestlings were encountered. Of those, 30 were identified by their red bands, most during nest surveys conducted by CWF staff. Obtaining re-sightings of red banded ospreys helps track individual birds as they return to New Jersey to nest as adults. We can learn a lot about their life history while engaging the public in osprey conservation. Thank you to everyone who has reported red banded ospreys that they have observed!
With ospreys being listed as stable, it means they’re not at risk of becoming threatened or endangered in the near future. It does not mean we should just forget about them or walk away. Our continued efforts to monitor ospreys will help track their health and any impacts from threats like plastic marine debris to the loss of vital prey, like menhaden shifting northward from the effects of climate change. We have to continue to maintain their nest structures, which the majority of ospreys rely on to successfully reproduce.
Thankfully we have a growing group of volunteer “osprey watchers” who will help keep tabs on them in the future. As one of the largest birds of prey that nests in very close proximity to humans, especially on our heavily developed coast, creating a connection between ospreys and people is resilience. The ability to adapt to a changing landscape is crucial to our shared prosperity in this region. We must protect our open space and habitats that wildlife depend on to survival, while also allowing our human way of life to move forward.
Special thanks to everyone who donates to support our work with ospreys and to all our volunteers who help maintain their nest structures and monitor nest activity throughout the state!
