The Wildlife Center of Virginia released a Golden Eagle on Wednesday, February 16 at the Harvey’s Knob Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway (about 12 miles north of Roanoke).  Prior to release, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries fitted the bird with a GPS transmitter.

Additional Information About the Golden Eagle

Questions and Answers about the Golden Eagle’s migration north

Where is he now?

The Golden Eagle has been out of range since March 31.  At noon that day, he was in Montreal; the eagle likely continued north and out of range later that day.  We suspect we won’t hear from the Golden Eagle again until late October, when the bird moves south again for the winter. 

Date                      Start of Day                        End of Day                                          Miles Traveled

March 21:            Craig County                        West of Harrisonburg                        88 miles
March 22:            west of Harrisonburg         Berkeley Springs, WV                        79 miles
March 23:            rest day in WV                                                                                         1 mile
March 24:            Berkeley Springs, WV        MD/PA border                                      55 miles
March 25:            MD/PA border                     Mercersburg, PA                                  29 miles
March 26:            Mercersburg, PA                 PA/NY border                                      210 miles
March 27:            PA/NY border                     Worcester, NY                                      89 miles
March 28:            rest day around Worcester, NY                                                        0 miles
March 29:           Worcester, NY                       Saranac, NY                                          150 miles
March 30:            Saranac, NY                           Montreal, Quebec …                          63 miles+

Golden Eagle traveled more than 764 miles in 10 days and averaged 95 miles per travel day.

April 2 update

The Golden Eagle hasn’t checked in since March 30; this could mean that he continued north from Montreal that day and is now out of cell-range.  We’ll keep checking in case he makes another appearance, though we may not “see” the eagle again until fall when he heads south!

March 30 update

Oh, Canada!

Yesterday, the Golden Eagle continued making his way through New York; he stopped for the night just south of Saranac.  Maximum speed for the day was 66 miles per hour. 

Early this morning, the eagle was awake and flying again, and crossed the Canadian border almost exactly at the Covey Hill Border Crossing just before 10:00 am.   The eagle flew directly over the Montreal airport and was still in Montreal at noon.

March 29 update

After a day of rest yesterday near Worcester, NY, the Golden Eagle continues north.  This afternoon he checked in about 70 miles south of the Canadian border and 25 miles west of Vermont.

By tomorrow evening, the eagle may be back in Canada.

March 28 update

One week after leaving Craig County, Virginia, the Golden Eagle is near Worcester, NY.  At this rate, the eagle could be back “home” by the end of the week.

The eagle seems to be spending today near Worcester.  On the map above, this morning’s start point can be seen.  By mid-afternoon, the bird “checked in” right around the same area … perhaps finding a meal to fuel him for the rest of his journey.

For additional questions and answers about this eagle’s journey, please visit our Q&A page.

March 27 update

Hello, New York!  By 1:00 pm on Sunday, March 27, the Golden Eagle was tracked well into New York.

March 26 update

By this afternoon’s check-in, the Golden Eagle had covered a lot of ground — he’s flown most of the way through Pennsylvania!

March 25 update

March 24 update

On March 24, the Golden Eagle was on the move again.  At the afternoon “check-in”, the eagle was in Maryland, between Frederick and Hagerstown.

March 22 update

The Golden Eagle is on the move!  On the morning of Monday, March 21, the eagle was still in Craig County, but decided to make his move north that day.  By that night, the bird was west of Harrisonburg.  On the afternoon of March 22, the eagle “checked in” from West Virginia, near Berkeley Springs.

Stay tuned for more updates of the Golden Eagle’s travels.

March 23 update: It appears as though today is a “rest day” for the Golden Eagle; the bird has only moved one mile from yesterday’s check point.  Considering that the eagle flew approximately 170 miles in his first two days of travel, it’s surely a well-deserved day of rest.

 [Note:  The straight line to the east of the Wildlife Center is a "remnant line" and not the path of the eagle.]

March 16 update

Craig County is still the place to be for Golden Eagle #11-0017!

March 13 update

March 12 update

After 10 days of staying out of range, the Golden Eagle checked in on Saturday, March 12.  It appears that he’s been covering the entire Craig County area over the past week, without leaving once!

March 2 update

The Golden Eagle checked in again on March 2; at this time he was known to be approaching the Roanoke County line.  As of March 7, the eagle has been out of cell range for several days.

March 1 update

The Golden Eagle “checked back in” on March 1st; it appears that since the last update, the bird flew over the town of New Castle and then around the northern end of Sinking Creek Mountain.  This steep, sweeping mountainside is also well-known for its powerful thermals.

The eagle’s flight path was overlaid on Google Earth Digital Elevation Models, which provide a sense of the ruggedness of the terrain he seems to prefer.

February 25 update

The Golden Eagle was out of cell range for several days, but on February 25th, more data came in to the biologists who are collecting this data.  The eagle remains in Botetourt County and appears to be hanging around Price Mountain, a ridge well-known by Virginia glider clubs for its great thermals.  The bird’s last known location is about 6.5 miles northeast of Newcastle.

February 20 update

Within the past two days, the Golden Eagle headed south again and is hanging out, appropriately enough, near Eagle Rock in Botetourt County.  We estimate that this bird has traveled roughly 60-70 miles since release.

February 18 update

After release, the Golden Eagle traveled north into Rockbridge County, just southwest of Lexington.  The straight line on the right side of the map is a “remnant line” and not the path of the eagle.

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