Research

The Science and Research Committee was established to provide review of the Project’s ongoing banding efforts and to search out new research initiatives.  The committee is interested in developing relationships with researchers who would benefit from hands-on access to migrating raptors. Interested individuals can contact us at cmrbp@comcast.net.

Hatch year Red-shouldered Hawk about to be measured, weighed, and banded.  Photo Credit: Hannah Glass
Hatch year Red-shouldered Hawk about to be measured, weighed, and banded.
Photo Credit: Hannah Glass

Research Projects

Hatch year male Sharp-shinned Hawk with full crop.
Photo Credit: Hannah Glass

Feather Samples from Raptors: Feather samples were taken by our banders once again in 2023 on a limited basis, focusing on preserving an archive of feather samples for future study. We collected 303 feather samples in fall 2023. 

Heavy Metals and Avian Pathogens: Dr. Nick Baer and his students from Colby-Sawyer College collected samples during the 2023 banding season to explore two areas of research on migratory raptors. The first is studying avian pathogens where flat flies have been collected annually since 2015 to quantify the incidence of Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus. Results to date show annual variability in the number of hawks testing positive, and low numbers of cases overall. There is a group of students interested in expanding this research in the coming year to test of avian flu as well. The second area of research is quantifying three different metal concentrations in hawks. The team has collected back feather samples to assess mercury, lead and cadmium concentrations across all species banded. Results from both 2021 and 2022 show that sharp-shinned hawks exhibit the highest mercury concentrations relative to other species tested.  Feather samples from 2023 will be analyzed this spring to see if our results to date are consistent across years sampled.  We would like to continue to build our sample size in the coming year as we are also testing for lead and cadmium, two elements less understood in birds of prey. 

Transmitter Telemetry for Golden Eagles: Dr. Trish Miller, West Virginia University, assisted by Mike Lanzone of Cellular Tracking Technologies, continued Dr. Miller’s project to band and attach GPS telemetry units to Golden Eagles (GOEA). To date, four GOEAs that were trapped as part of CMRBP have been fitted with CTT transmitters: one in 2016, one in 2017, one in 2019, and one in 2021. Dr. Miller and Mr. Lanzone hope to attach additional transmitters to GOEA in the future to learn more about movement ecology of coastal GOEAs and how they may differ from the Appalachian Plateau wintering population. No Golden Eagles were trapped in fall 2023, so no CTT transmitters were deployed.

Transmitter Telemetry – Timing of stopover and use of habitat by migrant raptors in the southern New Jersey peninsula: This research project was initiated in 2022 by Dr. Trish Miller to attach transmitters to Red-tailed Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks in order to track their habitat use in Cape May, their fall migration and their spring return to their breeding areas. For 2023, Dr. Miller attached transmitters to 2 Red-tailed Hawks, 3 Red-shouldered Hawks, and 4 Sharp-shinned Hawks. 

Transmitter telemetry for Swainson’s Hawks and Rough-legged Hawks: A research project was initiated in 2018 with Dr. Trish Miller to attach transmitters to Swainson’s Hawks (SWHA) and Rough-legged Hawks (RLHA) in order to track their fall migration and their spring return to their breeding areas. In 2023 one SWHA was captured, but no transmitter was attached due to the hawk’s low weight. No RLHAs were captured.

Photo by John Shafer
Golden eagle with CTT Transmitter
Hatch year Sharp-shinned Hawk with Capillaria lesion under the tongue
Photo credit: Hannah Glass

Capillaria in Sharp-shinned Hawks: This project was initiated in 2022 to examine migrating Sharp-shinned Hawks (SSHA) and other accipiters for the presence and severity of oral lesions/plaques to indicate the presence of Capillaria. Project leader is David Mathiason. 65 SSHA affected by probable Capillaria were noted in 2023 (see further under Injured Raptors).

Past Research Projects

 

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Flight Kinematics: Dr. Suzanne Amador Kane of Haverford College filmed raptor take-off and maneuvering kinematics. For more information about Suzanne Amador Kane and her research…..click here.

Assessing Body Condition of Migrating American Kestrels:  CMRBP, Inc. provided historical data for Teresa Ely’s Master’s thesis research using body mass information to determine if lack of food availability reflected in body condition is a potential cause for the long term decline of the American Kestrel population.

Deterrence Effects of High Brightness Lights: In 2014 and 2015, researchers at Lite Enterprises, Inc., Donald Ronning, President, conducted research to assess the reactions of approaching Red-tailed hawks to newly developed high brightness lights. Preliminary feedback is positive and there are expectations that that the lights will prove to be an effective deterrent in areas such as airports, wind farms and more.

Possible Hen Harrier banded in Cape May: In the fall of 2010, Katy Duffy a long time bander with the Project, captured a harrier with unusual plumage, mass and physical measurements. To read more….click here.

Male Kestcapemaynelson08amkerel Plumage: In 2010, the Project cooperated with Elizabeth Wommack from U.C. Berkley, on a study investigating correlation between genetic variation and plumage coloration in male American Kestrels (Falco sparverius). For more information about Elizabeth Wommack and the Bowie lab at U.C. Berkeley click here

IMG_0677-001Merlin Population Genetics Research: During the 2009 season, the Project cooperated with Dr. Joshua Hull on a molecular genetic investigation of morphological and genetic differentiation among the three subspecies of Merlin (Falco columbarius) to test whether there is a genetic east-west population division in North America. For more information on Dr Hull and related projects, click here.

Sharp-shinned Hawk Migration Counts: Were the declines in the Sharp-shinned hawk migration counts of the mid-80’s related to the Spruce Budworm population? To read Nicholas Bolgiano’s paper on this  click here.

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Click here to see our Annual Report

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Committee Members

Paul Napier, Chair of the Science and Research Committee, President of CMRBP, Inc.

Olin Allen, Board Member CMRBP, Inc.

Nick Baer, Ph.D., Board Member, CMRBP, Inc.

Kathleen E. Clark, Principal Non-game Zoologist with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, Endangered and Non-game Species.

Katy Duffy, Board Member, CMRBP, Inc.

Laurie Goodrich, Ph.D., Sarkis Acopian Director of Conservation Science, Hawk Mountain

David LaPuma, Ph.D., Cellular Tracking Technologies LLC

Jim Malone, Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania

Sam Merker, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Georgia