Davis - Blogs | Blog | Flight path

21 Mar

Cutting-edge technology has given a Davis College researcher more invaluable insights into the migratory behavior of a majestic bird of prey:

The journey began late last March, near the western edge of Connecticut, before taking a northward path to a remote spot near the Quebec-Labrador border. After a summer spent there, the return began in October and ended back in the same area it began.

Not exactly where West Virginia University researcher Todd Katzner expected this golden eagle to travel.

Katzner has been researching golden eagles for nearly two decades but the data he was able to gather from this particular eagle’s migration – using a device of his own design – has given him a new perspective on the bird’s behavior.

Using the device, which provides data every 30 seconds instead of every hour, Katzner was able to successfully track the travels of a female eagle that had been rehabilitated at Tufts Wildlife Clinic in Massachusetts.