Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Ornithology
Intraspecific Intrusion At Bald Eagle Nests, Courtney Turrin, B. D. Watts
Intraspecific Intrusion At Bald Eagle Nests, Courtney Turrin, B. D. Watts
Arts & Sciences Articles
Competition for nesting territory has been shown to act as a density-dependent feedback mechanism influencing population growth rate. However, little is known about the nature of territorial interactions between established breeders and floaters. We examined territorial intrusion rates and associated behaviours at active Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus nests in the lower Chesapeake Bay in 2012 and 2013. The average intrusion rate experienced at study nests during the reproductive period was 0.28 ± 0.32 intrusions/h. Variance in intrusion rate was high and there was no apparent predictive pattern to these events. Juvenile intrusions occurred closer to the nest than adult intrusions, …
Recovery Of Breeding Bald Eagles On Aberdeen Proving Ground, B. D. Watts
Recovery Of Breeding Bald Eagles On Aberdeen Proving Ground, B. D. Watts
Arts & Sciences Articles
We conducted annual aerial surveys (1991-2011) for breeding Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) within Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), a 350-km2 military installation located along the northwestern shoreline of the upper Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. The population increased exponentially from 1 pair in 1977 to 58 pairs in 2011 with an average doubling time of 5.8 years. This rate was higher than that documented for the broader Chesapeake Bay and is comparable to the highest reported throughout the species range. Annual population increase was highly variable and exhibited no indication of any systematic decline. A total of 646 chicks were produced from …