TERF17x (tracked 6/17/23 - 8/3/23) - Hancock Wildlife Foundation

TERF17x (tracked 6/17/23 – 8/3/23)

While not an official part of our tracking study because he or she sadly didn’t survive to leave the nest area, HWF tracked bald eagle TERF17x was a young bald eagle who was banded and received a tracker prior to fledging, and sadly did not survive to leave the area. The youngster was originally designated TERF17a, but that designation is being reused. The eagle is from a nest near Mud Bay, so is also known as the Mud Bay Chick.

We don’t have an interactive map for TERF17x, but are adding a picture showing the data for the six weeks he or she had a tracker, and the travels will be part of the combined map, showing all trackers still in use.

Please visit our Hancock Wildlife Forum thread for more information about TERF17x’s travels – I think he or she did fledge and do a bit of exploring..

Update – August 19, 2023 – Sad news, I’m afraid – TERF17x didn’t survive. Myles Lamont who banded TERF17x noted that a number of other chicks died this year, several of them from starvation, though I don’t know if that was a factor here. I also don’t know for sure if the eaglet fledged – most of the data points seemed to be within 15 meters/50 feet of the nest, which could be within the margin of error for the tracker, but there were a couple of points further out, so I’m hoping the youngster did get a chance to feel the wind under those big wings. Rest in peace, and fly free, far beyond the sky. ~JudyB

TERF17x/Mud Bay Chick possible flights near nest

Summary of Travels

TERF17a sadly never left the area right around the nest; the line at the lower left shows the tracker being brought back to Hancock Wildlife. I’m not sure if the youngster made a few flights, or if it only looks that way because of the margin for error when the data is uploaded. I do know that the farthest data point is no more than about 30 meters or 100 feet from the nest.