A banded adult Bald Eagle was recovered in western New York State on June 20, 2008. Amazingly, this bird was one of several Bald Eagle chicks that were brought down from the Lake-of-the-Woods region of northwestern Ontario and ‘hacked’ during the mid-1980s on Long Point, Lake Erie. Hacking involves the transplanting of young birds that are then tended and released some time after fledging. This chick was relocated to Long Point through an initiative by the Canadian Wildlife Service and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to help re-establish the dwindling Bald Eagle population within the lower Great Lakes.

This individual was banded (band number 629-07526), given a white wing tag, measured, and released when it was old enough to fly on July 31, 1987 – making it 21 years old! The eagle was injured this summer by unknown causes and is currently in the care of veterinarians in New York. To find out more about the ongoing monitoring efforts of Bald Eagles in southern Ontario, please visit our website.