The golden eagles are back and the Elk State Forest will again be assisting in the Golden Eagle Study.
In the winter of 2011-12, the Bureau of Forestry Elk State Forest, in cooperation with Penn State University, West Virginia University and the Pennsylvania Game Commission, participated in a study of golden eagles across the Appalachian Mountains from Georgia to Maine.
The purpose of the study was to document the frequency and duration of golden eagles, as they moved south during the winter months from their breeding areas in Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.
In addition to tracking how long they spent in the area, they also hoped to gain some knowledge on how old the birds were based on their plumage. Lastly in some cases, when they had a bird that was consistent in visiting a site, biologists and graduate students from both Penn State and West Virginia Universities would set up a net to trap, band and document specifics on the bird.
After all this data was collected, they place a radio tracker on the bird and then track its movements throughout the next couple of seasons. The study lasts from the middle of December to the middle of March.
Check out the Elk State Forest Facebook page for more information and pictures.