A rare treat

When we think of eagles in the region, we usually think of the bald eagle. Thanks to the efforts of multiple state and federal wildlife agencies, they are well established and breeding successfully in our area.

A less well-known but equally noble visitor, however, is the majestic golden eagle, which does not breed in this area, but does migrate through and winter here.

Golden eagles started to move through this area late last month, with seven seen at Sunrise Mountain in Stokes State Forest, NJ in the last two weeks of October. The migration through this area will continue through November, and some birds will even winter in the region. Thus, even if you don’t catch them migrating this fall, you may be able to spot one in the coming months at one of the traditional eagle-watching sites along the Delaware River or Mongaup Reservoir. A map of these sites can be found on the Eagle Institute web site at www.eagleinstitute.org—click on “Map” on the navigation bar.

A mature golden eagle is easily mistaken for an immature bald eagle, as both are a brown color over most of their bodies. However, golden eagles have dark coppery colored head, and lack the mottling of immature bald eagles. Immature golden eagles have a distinct white band on the tail and white marks on the wings.

Golden eagles are not plentiful in this region, but that just makes the rare glimpses of these wonderful raptors all the more precious.