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2002 WINTER BALD EAGLE SURVEY RESULTS LANSING--Department of Natural Resources officials today
announced results of the 2002 winter bald eagle survey,
which produced 990 reported sightings from 1,021 voluntary
eagle spotters in 69 Michigan counties. This year's survey
period, Jan. 1-15, occurred during unseasonably warm weather
with ice-free waters.
Three hundred forty-four eagles were sighted in the Upper
Peninsula, 324 were counted in the southern Lower Peninsula
and 322 eagles were sighted in the northern Lower Peninsula.
Within specific counties, high sightings were reported in
Monroe (70), Midland (58) and Chippewa counties (59). Many
eagles were reported at or near cooling ponds and along open
waterways.
The DNR and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wish to thank
those individuals who participated in this project. This
annual survey is a valuable management tool that aids in
maintaining an informational database about bald eagles,
which are listed as a threatened species and are protected
under the Bald Eagle Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
The survey is sponsored by the DNR Natural Heritage Program
in cooperation with the USFWS and was made possible through
the Nongame Fish and Wildlife Fund. Visit the DNR Web site
at www.michigandnr.com for details of the survey, more
information on endangered and threatened animals, wildlife
viewing opportunities and other features.
Source: MDNR
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