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Photos from the NJ Bald Eagle Nesting Season

Monday, July 15th, 2024

Larissa Smith: Senior Biologist

The 2024 NJ Bald eagle nesting season is winding down and so far 221 young eagles have fledged from nests throughout the state. We know that these eagles have fledged due to the eagle project volunteers who monitor all known eagle nests in New Jersey. Being a nest monitor can be a joyful experience when all goes well and the pairs successfully fledge young. But, it can also be heartbreaking when a pair fails to hatch eggs and when adults or chicks are lost during the season. Despite the ups and downs of monitoring eagle nests the volunteers continue to be dedicated to the eagle project. I asked the Eagle Project volunteers to send me their two favorite photos from the season.

Please enjoy the slideshow.

All photos were taken by trained volunteers from a safe distance using high powered scopes and cameras.

  • Scott Northey
  • Alex Tongas
  • Alex Tongas
  • Evan Federici
  • Niko Roose
  • Niko Roose
  • Christine Alber
  • Robert Hofstrom
  • Blake Allan
  • Blake Allan
  • Cheryl Leonard
  • Evan Federici
  • Daniel Rossi
  • Daniel Rossi
  • Andrea Passarella
  • Spence Bennett
  • Spence Bennett
  • Kimberly Simpkson
  • Dede Kotler
  • Bryan & Alexis Everingham
  • Barb McKee
  • Barb Typinski
  • John King
  • John King
  • Cheryl Leonard
  • Donna & Heiki Poolake
  • Anne Price
  • Jeffrey Crawn
  • Jeffrey Crawn
  • Darlene DeSantis
  • Darlene DeSantis
  • Denise Bittle
  • Donna & Heiki Poolake
  • Lisa Romero
  • Lisa Romero
  • Joe Codis
  • Evan Federici
  • Sandy Caggiano
  • Kimberly Simpkins
  • Jim Harding
  • Jim McClain
  • Linda Palmer Hofmann
  • Kevin Buynie
  • Karin Buynie
  • Tony Gregorio
  • Tony Gregorio
  • Rose Marie Joy
  • Rose Marie Joy
  • Diane Cook
  • Diane Cook
  • TeddiLyn Welden
  • TeddiLyn Welden
  • MacKenzie Hall
  • McKenzie Hall
  • Kevin Redden
  • Dallas Hetherington
  • Dallas Hetherington
  • John Parke
  • Rich Nicol
  • Rich Nicol
  • Paul Lenzo
  • Barb McKee
  • Jim Harding
  • Alice Belthoff
  • Alice Belthoff
  • Andrea Passarella
  • Jim McClain
  • Susie Cuthie
  • Tony Petrongolo
  • Tony Petrongolo
  • Paul Lenzo
  • Christine Alber
  • Denise Bittle
  • Scott Northey
  • Joe Mish
  • Joe MIsh
  • Margaret Ferry
  • Margaret Ferry
  • Stacey Emery
  • Stacey Emery
  • Barbara Typinski
  • Bryan & Alexis Everingham
  • Sandy Caggiano
  • Sandy Caggiano
  • Clare Luisi
  • Clare Luisi
  • Bill Reinert
  • Bill Reinert

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A Glimpse into the Monitoring of New Jersey’s American Kestrels

Monday, July 8th, 2024

by Rachel McGovern, Communications and Outreach Manager

New Jersey is home to three native falcon species, the peregrine falcon, merlin, and American kestrel. Falcons are fierce predators known for their swift flight and intensity. Of these species, I am always most excited to spot an American kestrel.

These small falcons, roughly the size of a mourning dove, are the smallest falcon species in North America. They thrive in habitats with short vegetation such as parklands, meadows, and agricultural areas. Here, they hunt for insects and small animals like mice and voles. You can often see them perched on wires or branches, scanning for prey with their distinctive tail-bobbing behavior. They nest in tree cavities or specially placed nest boxes near fields and meadows.

Recently, I had the privilege to join New Jersey Fish & Wildlife’s (NJFW) Endangered and Nongame Species Program’s American kestrel monitoring team at a nestbox site to band young kestrels. The NJFW American kestrel project works with volunteers to monitor nest boxes in New Jersey and gather critical data about this species. American kestrels were designated as a State threatened species in 2012. While there is still a lot to learn about their decline, it is understood to be at least partially due to habitat loss and a lack of nesting sites. NJFW has been monitoring these small falcons to learn about their decline and support their recovery.

A band is placed on a kestrel’s leg. Photo courtesy of Steve Neumann.
(more…)

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Photos from the Field

Wednesday, May 29th, 2024

by Ben Wurst / Senior Wildlife Biologist

There aren’t many times when you get to climb to the roof of a courthouse in a major metropolitan area. Except if you’re a raptor biologist! We recently joined NJ Fish & Wildlife’s Chief of the Endangered and Nongame Species Program, Kathy Clark and Union County staff and guests to band the four young falcons produced at a nest atop the Union County Courthouse, home to the Union County Falcon Cam.

(more…)

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From Lost to Found: E97’s Story

Friday, April 5th, 2024

by: Larissa Smith, Senior Biologist

During the 2020 NJ Bald Eagle nesting season the Camden B pair hatched and raised two chicks. This nest was located along the Cooper River, in Camden County on a small parcel of undeveloped land in a very urban area.

Camden B eagle nest with 6 week old chicks May 14, 2020: photo by: Marilyn Henry

On June 5, we received notification that the nest had fallen from the tree during a storm, at that time the two chicks were approximately nine weeks old. They were too young to fly since eagle don’t fledge until at least 11 weeks of age. At nine weeks of age they are the size of an adult eagle so they would be noticeable on the ground. Despite an extensive search by staff and volunteers there were no signs of the two nestlings.

Fallen Camden B nest, June 8, 2020

Local wildlife rehab centers were notified in case the young eagles were found and brought in for care. At that point we could only speculate on their fate. Then on June 28, NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife Law Enforcement was alerted to eagles being held in a dog pen at a residence in Camden. NJDFW Conservation Officers visited the home and found the two missing eagle chicks. At this point the young eagles were twelve weeks old and should have fledged if they were still in the nest.

Camden eagles in dog pen; June 28th, 2020: photo K. Clark

The eagles had been kept in the basement and fed hotdogs and chicken. Fortunately for the chicks they were moved outside and an alert citizen reported the captive eagles. They were taken to Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research for evaluation and treatment. After a week in rehab it was determined that they were healthy enough to be released. By this time the adults were no longer actively in the area of the nest tree. After eagle chicks fledge they still spend a few weeks in the nest area with the adults, learning to survive on their own. It was decided to release the two eagles in a remote area of Cumberland County. On July 9 the two Camden eagles were released at the site.

E/96 & E/97 at release, Diving Creek Cumberland County

Staff and volunteers temporarily provided supplemental food (fish and road-killed mammals). The release area has a large population of juvenile and sub-adult eagles who could provide the social learning the young eagles needed. A trail camera was set up at the food drop. E/97 wasn’t seen again at the release site. Her sibling, E/96 was seen in the area several times after her release.

On March 18th, 2024, Kathy Clark with NJENSP received an email from Jerry amEnde regarding a green banded eagle he photographed at Bombay Hook NWR in Delaware.

The banded eagle was E/97! We are thrilled to know that despite her not having a “traditional” start to her life, she has to survived to become a gorgeous four year old eagle.

E/97 , March 18, 2024: photo by Jerry am Ende

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2023 NJ Bald Eagle Project Report

Thursday, January 18th, 2024

by Larissa Smith, Senior Wildlife Biologist

The NJDEP Fish & Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program and Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey have published the New Jersey Bald Eagle Project, 2023. The NJ eagle population continues to thrive. During the 2023 nesting season, 286 nest sites were monitored of these 255 pairs were active (laid eggs). This is a slight increase of 5 active nests from 2022. This season 309 young eagles were documented to have fledged, this number is a down from 2022’s high of 335 young fledged. The productivity rate of 1.28 young per active nest is above the 1.0 young per nest needed for population maintenance.

Fifty-four nest failed to fledge young this season, this means that the pair laid eggs, but the eggs failed to hatch or the chicks did not make it to fledging. There could be many reasons for nest failure including weather events, nest/tree collapse, disturbance by humans or intruder eagles. The NJ eagle population is doing well but they still need monitoring and protection. There is constant pressure for development in NJ and if we don’t know about a nest we can’t help to protect it. Eagles are nesting in all 21 NJ counties, from remote marshes in southern New Jersey to suburban neighborhoods. How the ENSP and CWF protects these nests is on a nest by nest basis. We couldn’t do this without the dedicated group of 150 NJ Eagle Project volunteers who not only monitor the eagle nests, but help minimize disturbance to nests by educating the public about NJ’s eagle population.

Forsythe NWR, eagles fight over prey, 12/16/23 photo by Rich Nicol

The 2024 NJ Bald Eagle season is underway with eight pairs currently incubating. A great way to see what goes on in an eagles nest is to watch the Duke Farms eagle cam. The female should be laying the first egg any day now.

We’d like to thank all the volunteers, sponsors, donors and friends of the NJ Eagle Project

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