Migration Tracking

Tracking Raptors Via Satellite:
Highway to the Tropics and EagleTrack

In 1995, The Raptor Center began using satellite telemetry to monitor the migratory routes, stopover sites, and wintering grounds of ospreys and Swainson's hawks nesting in North America. We integrated this research with classroom- and Web-based environmental education into a program we called Highway to the Tropics. The Highway to the Tropics project concluded in 2002, when we determined that the tracking project had generated valuable and sufficient information regarding osprey flyways.

In 1998, The Raptor Center launched EagleTrack, a project in which satellite transmitters were placed on some of the bald eagles rehabilitated and released from our clinic, as well as on some banded eagles from the wild. More details about both groups of eagles can be explored via the links below.

Bald Eagles: EagleTrack
Migration Data
Banded Eagles from the Wild
Clinic Eagles Released (with case histories)
Raptor Facts

Ospreys
Raptor Facts
Teacher Lesson Plans

Swainson's Hawks: Prairie Partners
Conservation Issues
The Minnesota Connection
Teacher Lesson Plans

Partners
Dr.Charles Henny - USGS Biological Resources Division
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Nongame Program
New Jersey Endangered and Nongame Species Program
Peter Nye - New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Shelter Island and Long Island Chapters, The Nature Conservancy
Wetlands Institute of New Jersey

Sponsors
Doug and Shirley Dayton
Wallace Dayton
Dellwood Foundation
Disney
International Flavors & Fragrances
New Jersey PSE&G
Special Projects Foundation of the Big Game Club