Maryland Bald Eagle Nest Monitoring Program Workshop (12_5_20)

The recovery of our national symbol, the Bald Eagle, is considered one of the greatest conservation successes of the 20th century. From an all-time low of 44 nesting pairs in the state in 1977, more than 1,200 pairs currently breed in Maryland. Today, the Chesapeake Bay region is home to the largest concentrations of Bald Eagles in the lower 48 states. In 2007, The Bald Eagle was removed from the federal threatened and endangered species list and annual surveys of Maryland’s Bald Eagle population were discontinued. Maintaining an active monitoring program is vital to knowing when and where changes to breeding eagles are taking place. The Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership’s citizen-science monitoring program will document the nesting success and productivity of Maryland’s Bald Eagle population to help us to identify what conservation actions may be needed in the future.

We need volunteers to assist us in this effort! In our virtual training workshop, you will learn about Bald Eagles as well as how to monitor them, collect data, and submit your observations. Once the leaves are off the trees, this is the best time to look for eagle nests!

Chris Eberly has been Executive Director of the Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership since 2017. Chris worked in the computer industry for 11 years before attending graduate school at the University of Georgia where he earned an M.S. in natural resources and ornithology. Following grad school, he became the first coordinator of the Department of Defense’s bird conservation program (DoD Partners in Flight program), a position he held for 17 years. He was Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory in Texas starting with the Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership. Chris strives to connect people to birds through Bird City Maryland, the Maryland Bald Eagle Nest Monitoring Program, and the Farmland Raptor Program. He is also currently president of the Anne Arundel Bird Club.