This migration is spurred on … The bald eagle was removed from the Federal endangered species list in 2007 and from the Maine endangered species list in 2009. It is fairly plump compared to the smaller wingspan of red-shouldered hawks and especially the larger red-tailed hawk. If your action area is within 660 feet of a bald eagle nest, determine whether the proposed action may take or disturb the nesting eagles by following the steps in the Service's Region 5 bald eagle management guidelines. These regal birds aren’t really bald, but their white-feathered heads gleam in contrast to their chocolate-brown body and wings. Contact the Maine Field Office for further guidance. Immature eagles are generally dark with varying degrees of lighter mottling. It hunts larger openings like fields and clearcuts. Beaks are relatively large and powerful for tearing flesh. These large owls often occupy nests of crows or other raptors. Eagle with a tracking device. Except in midwinter, at least 2,000 bald eagles can be found across the state. Use the Maine Field Office's Bald Eagle Map Tool (Note: accessing this online ArcGIS tool may take a few minutes) that provides the locations of the known active bald eagle nests in Maine. Where Do Bald Eagles Migrate? Click on the header for additional information on bald eagles, golden eagles, and falcons. Provide an explanation of why the recommendations cannot be implemented in the "Notes/Documentation" column of the species summary table, and add this information to the project review package. Alert: Stay up to date on Maine's COVID-19 Response, Home → Fish & Wildlife → Wildlife → Species Information → Birds → Raptors. A federal law, the Bald Eagle – Golden Eagle Protection Act protects both species. Fax: (207) 287-8094 or (207) 287-6395 Email us, Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, Opportunities for People with Disabilities, Rulemaking Proposals Open to Public Comment, Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Reptiles and Amphibians, Rare, Threatened, & Endangered Invertebrates. Look for them soaring in solitude, chasing other birds for their food, or gathering by the hundreds in winter. If you know of eagle nest locations within 660 feet of your project action area, include them in your species summary table. A fourth, the rough-legged hawk, is an occasional visitor during winter. Bald eagles prefer to be near the water, so they are often spotted near coastal marshes, large lakes, sea coast or along rivers. Barred owls and great horned owls are widespread year-round residents of Maine. However, some observers do not realize their different appearance in the first 3 – 4 years. The Eagle Act protects both bald and golden eagles from take and disturbance. Other buteo species occur elsewhere in the U. S. Buteos generally hunt in open areas and nest in the edges of forests. Unlike other birds, bald eagles do not migrate for temperature reasons. (B) If you are unable to implement the recommendations in the guidelines, add "may disturb" nesting bald eagles to the species summary table under the column for Step 4. The breeding population of short-eared owls (not pictured here) is designated a Threatened Species due to low numbers and vulnerability as a ground nester in grassland or expansive marshes. Northern saw whet owls (not pictured here) are small owls that nest in Maine’s coniferous woodlands. If your action area is not within 660 feet from a bald eagle nest, add "bald eagle" to the species column under Step 2 and add "unlikely to disturb nesting bald eagles" to the column for Step 4 of the species summary table. Peregrine falcons are a State Endangered Species. Bald eagles tend to migrate in groups. Bald Eagles. The sharp-shinned hawk (not pictured here) is quite similar to the Cooper’s hawk above. Both occur in Maine throughout the year. Bald eagles in Washington were listed as Threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1978. Ospreys are smaller; whitish underneath; soar with wing tips arced downward below the horizontal; hover then dive for fish; and build nests atop trees, poles, cell towers, navigation markers, etc. Why do some eagles migrate while others do not? Why, then, does Colorado’s Bald Eagle population surge to well over 1000 birds in the late fall and winter? Scavenging (eating carrion) is an option when food stressed. Print the Maine Bald Eagle Map and add it to the project review package. More visit Maine as fall or spring migrants. Golden eagle almost certainly number < 100 individuals at any time of year: perhaps fewer than 10 in most months. A federal law, the Bald Eagle – Golden Eagle Protection … To navigate within Species List and Project Reviews in Maine, select the desired step below: Service's Region 5 bald eagle management guidelines, Northeast Region Ecological Services Home. Our largest nesting buteo, the red-tailed hawk is widespread across the state. Golden eagle almost certainly number < 100 individuals at any time of year: perhaps fewer than 10 in most months. Family Accipitridae = hawks, eagles, and the northern harrier. Wings raised in a “V” dihedral and a conspicuous white “rump” at the base of a relatively long tail are very characteristic. ”There is a wide variety of raptors, but several traits are common to most of these birds: Many people get only a fleeting glimpse of raptors and understandably wonder which one they saw!Learn to focus on the overall shape and silhouette proportions of those flying overhead. Determine if your action area intersects within 660 feet of a bald eagle nest. Migration is the obvious answer, but as you might suspect, it’s a bit more complicated than that. Golden eagles nested in Maine until 1999, and they still occur during the breeding season and migrate through the State from their nesting areas in eastern Canada to wintering areas in the mid-Atlantic States. The bald eagle nesting (breeding) season in Maine is from February 1 through August 15. Some raptors have had considerable conservation attention in Maine. They can see about seven times better than people. In the spring, eagles migrate quickly; during the fall they migrate rather slow, sometimes remaining in an area for a week or so before continuing on. Two are expanding their range in the eastern U. S. and are relatively recent arrivals to Maine. Document the recommendations you adopted to avoid disturbance in the "Notes/Documentation" column of the species summary table. Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act . The widespread use of DDT between the 1940s and 1970s is widely viewed as the main cause of the decline of bald eagles in Washington and the other 48 states, though direct extirpation and habitat alteration are also known causes (Stalmaster 1987). Identification: Our national symbol is highly recognizable. (A) If you are able to implement the recommendations in the guidelines, add "bald eagle" to the species column and add "will not disturb" nesting bald eagles to the species summary table under the column for Step 4. (C) If you don't know whether your project may take or disturb eagles, add "don't know" to the species summary table under the column for Step 4. A stream of migrating bald eagles can be twenty to thirty miles long, with birds spread out about a half mile apart. Only two types of eagles are native to North America. Fish. This intermediate-sized Red-shouldered hawk frequents riparian forests. For the most part, bald eagles can withstand cooler temperatures. Bald eagles, as most everyone knows, are the kind seen around here most of the time. Physical Address: Wing shapes and size are specialized to aid foraging strategies. Continue to Step 5. At this time, we do not have site specific information related to golden eagle habitat use in Maine. In early November, Bald Eagles begin to leave their summer homes in Canada and Northern Minnesota to move south for the winter. The photo below reflects the intense competition between ospreys and bald eagles for nest locations and fish. If they live in an area where they can survive all winter (one with plenty of open water and food), they will stay close to their nesting area and not move far at all. It is slightly smaller and more typical in the interior of Maine woodlands, while the Cooper’s hawk has adapted to fragmented, surburban areas. Except in midwinter, at least 2,000 bald eagles can be found across the state. I founded the Coastal Bald Eagle Project and began offering bald eagle boat tours at Sea Venture Custom Boat Tours in 1995. Golden Eagles are a State Endangered Species. They can fish open waters and faster currents much more effectively than bald eagles. In some instances, eagle nest surveys may need to be completed; however, all surveys must be coordinated well in advance with the Maine Field Office to avoid unnecessary disturbance to nesting bald eagles. It frequents the edges of woodlands, and is not an uncommon raptor to see perched on roadside utility lines. Bald eagles do not usually migrate in kettles rather they mainly prefer solitary flight. Osprey and bald eagle in aerial combat,Hancock County. In other words, Bald Eagles are a little picky—but mostly they’re just lazy. Adult bald eagles do not migrate with juveniles. High overhead, it is fairly light underneath but a dark “belly band” is easily noticed.