Date: 10/14/26 7:29 am From: PAUL ROBERTS <phawk254...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Think Migrating Golden Eagles
The weather forecast for this Saturday (October 17) suggests birders should brush up on their eagle identification. A powerful cold front is forecast to dominate our air space Saturday with chilly powerful northwest winds gusting at 30 mph for at least one day. We have a decent opportunity to see one or more Golden Eagles in Massachusetts and environs. Roughly 5,000 Golden Eagles are estimated to breed in eastern Canada (~ 1,250 pairs and a roughly similar number of non-breeding birds, largely 6 mos to 5 years old.) “Spaghetti maps” showing the flight paths of radio-tagged Golden Eagles indicate that most Golden Eagles use the Appalachian Ridge as their basic migration route. Tag data suggests that most adults do not leave their breeding range until mid-October, so late October and early November are the best times to see adult Goldens migrating over relatively direct inland routes. Immatures (it can take five years for a Golden to achieve breeding plumage) including juveniles (hatch-year birds) tend to migrate a little earlier and over a broader front, giving Mass birders their best opportunities in state. (Go to https://doi.org/10.1525/auk.2011.11078 for an excellent article and map on eastern Golden Eagles.) Historically, relatively few Goldens are reliably reported in Massachusetts, especially the eastern portion. The Berkshires, especially the Mount Everett area, may still offer the best opportunities to see Goldens in the Commonwealth. But immatures are less knowledgeable migrants and juveniles have never done it before, so they really don’t know exactly where they are going or how to get there, much less when. They wander and dally, so are more inclined to fly east towards the Atlantic coast, especially on powerful, cold, northwest winds. Normally, most Goldens are reported in New England in the second half of October and first half of November. On October 12 Clarry Hill in eastern Maine reported three early adult Goldens, essentially migrating together. Eagles have significant wing loading and are among our most powerful, stable fliers. In other words, if you want to see a Golden Eagle, Saturday is a great opportunity, when it may be difficult to see most other birds in the air or on the water. The birds are likely to be flying northeast to southwest inland, paralleling our coastline. Wachusett is probably the best site in eastern Massachusetts, though 30+ mph winds may keep most other raptors, and possibly the Goldens, flying lower than the 2006’ summit. If nothing is seen from the summit, try the North Rd. Overlook. (Wachusett road to the summit is open until the last Sunday in October.) Mt. Watatic in Ashburnham, which requires a hike, is a great ridge site. Mount Agamenticus in southeastern Maine is another good observation point (you can drive to the summit). But anywhere is possible. Several decades ago in the early days of MassBird, I recall a report of a Golden Eagle flying over Medford Square, a mile from my home. I was skeptical of the report until I got a report about an hour later of a Golden seen well by experienced observers flying over the Blue Hills. The bird was migrating down Route 93! Many “Golden Eagle” reports in October are likely juvenile Bald Eagles. They can be as large as Goldens, and very dark, often with dirty white patches in the tail (and telltale white wingpits). Immatures can have light necks and crowns, suggesting a Golden’s hackles. Thus, it pays to review the basic differences. (See the Maine Eagle Identification Sheet at https://www.maine.gov/ifw/docs/Maine%20Eagle%20Identification%20Cheat%20Sheet.pdf ) Bald Eagles have large heads and beaks in front of the wings, and a long tail behind. Goldens have a comparatively small head and beak in front of the wings, and a long tail, so the silhouettes are distinctly different. Bald Eagles tend to look like a flying plank, a “2 X 4,” soaring on flat wings. Goldens look more “buteo-like,” with the hand raised and pushing slightly forward in a Redtail-like shallow dihedral. The trailing edge of the wing narrows noticeably at the body. If contrast can be seen, immature Bald Eagles can have irregular dirty white virtually anywhere on the wings or body, and for the first several years have clearly dirty white wingpits. It takes Bald Eagles a minimum of three and for most birds four plus years to achieve a crisp refrigerator-white head and tail. Adult Golden Eagles have no crisp white anywhere (except rarely on the base of the tail). Immatures can have crisp clean bright white patches at the base of their flight feathers on the wings and tail, above and below, that diminish gradually. In recent years it has been learned that contrary to most older field guides some immatures, including juveniles, lack any white in the wings and will have only clean, crisp white on the base of the trail. The famous golden hackles are often difficult to see, especially in ashen November skies. In recent decades we’ve also learned that eastern Golden Eagles behave differently from western birds, especially during the winter. Western birds are often easily seen in wide open spaces hunting ground squirrels, prairie dogs, and jack rabbits. Eastern birds find few such areas, evolving to hunt and scavenge beneath the canopy, where they are much more difficult to see. Our best opportunities to see them are in migration. A visit to www.hawkcount.org to look for Golden Eagle counts at hawk watches in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, will reveal numerous sites within 300 miles to see significant numbers of migrating Goldens in the month ahead. Good luck! Paul M. Roberts Medford, MA <phawk254...>
