News Release Archives - January 2009
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January 26, 2009
Weather Cancels Mid-Winter Eagle Survey
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual mid-winter bald eagle survey was canceled this year due to inclement weather.
Patrick T. Isakson, nongame biologist, said it was the first time in its 23-year history that the survey wasn’t completed. “We have a 15-day window to conduct the survey, but the weather wouldn’t cooperate for us to get up in a plane,” Isakson said.
Each winter biologists nationwide conduct mid-winter surveys to estimate the number of bald eagles wintering in the lower 48 states. Each state attempts to complete the survey as close to the target date of Jan. 9 as possible to make certain that birds are not counted twice.
The survey route in North Dakota extends from Bismarck to the Garrison Dam. In 2008, a record 85 bald eagles – 68 adults and 17 immature – were tallied along the Missouri River.
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