As part of a national survey effort, the Bureau of Land Management is seeking volunteers to assist with the Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016.

Participants are asked to count eagles along standard routes in order to identify population trends. The standard routes are distributed across Campbell, Johnson, and Sheridan counties as well as Natrona and Converse counties. These routes will follow public roads.

Last year’s survey results for Campbell, Johnson and Sheridan counties are as follows: 90 volunteers counted 407 eagles, including 288 bald eagles. A total of 2803 eagles have been counted since surveys of the Basin began in 2006. In Natrona and Converse counties, seven volunteers counted 24 eagles across designated routes in Natrona and Converse counties, including nine bald eagles. A total of 36 eagles have been counted since surveys of Natrona and Converse counties began in 2014.

In a change from past years, volunteers will be required to register for survey routes. To register for the survey in Campbell, Johnson and Sheridan counties, contact Charlotte Darling at (307) 684-1045 by Friday, Jan. 1. In order to register for the survey in Natrona and Converse Counties, contact George Soehn at (307) 261-7531 by Friday, Jan. 1. Public training meetings will be held during the week before the survey to discuss survey methodology, eagle identification and to distribute survey materials.

The national survey was established in 1979 by the National Wildlife Federation to develop a winter population index of bald eagles in the lower 48 states and to identify previously unrecognized winter habitats. Over the years the national survey has been coordinated by BLM, U.S. Geological Survey, and is currently coordinated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Wildlife professionals from the BLM, U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service coordinate local efforts across Wyoming. A trend analysis paper using survey results from 1986-2010 was published in the September 2015 issue of The Journal of Raptor Research.

For additional information, contact Charlotte Darling at (307) 684-1045 for the Campbell, Johnson and Sheridan counties survey or George Soehn at (307) 261-7531 for the Natrona and Converse Counties survey. For more information on the national program visit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bird Initiative web site at http://corpslakes.usace.army.mil/employees/bird/midwinter.cfm.

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