Mississippi Power, MSU continue eagle banding project

The Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge welcomed two new eaglets in December and thanks to Mississippi Power and Mississippi State University, they’re now fitted with solar GPS transmitters.

This is the second year young bald eagles have been fitted with a GPS ‘backpack’ and employees may remember when last year’s eagle made it all the way to Canada.

“This has been a great opportunity to see first-hand what kind of knowledge we can gain from this type of environmental research,” said Environmental Affairs Manager Tony Smith. “We’re happy to partner with Dr. Rush and MSU once again to add two new eaglets to the program.”

Transmission Line Specialist BJ Hartfield and his contract crew played an integral role in the process by carefully removing both eaglets from their nest and returning them safely after their work up and fitting.

“We’ve been a part of this project for several years now, and it’s always exciting to retrieve the eaglets,” said Hartfield. “Knowing that we’re able to help further MSU’s research and safely handle the birds is a good feeling and we’re looking forward to see where these two eagles travel.”

Once on the ground, Dr. Rush and his team carefully weighed and measured both eaglets before obtaining blood samples and fitting them with their trackers.

“Through this process we are able to gain insight to the birds’ overall health as well as the environment around them,” said Rush. “We’re able to check their lead levels and assess them for any possible illnesses. The transmitters will then allow us to track their migration patterns over the course of several years.”

The solar transmitters are securely fastened to the birds’ back and will send data updates every fifteen minutes that include the birds’ location, altitude and flight speed.

“We learned so much last year and we’re eager to see if any patterns emerge this year,” said Rush. “We’re thankful for a strong partnership with Mississippi Power and we know this research will be invaluable for years to come.”