Protecting golden eagles with industry partner Avangrid

Golden Eagle nestlings, photo by Julie Heath

It was a brisk, windy day in the Owyhee Mountains of southwestern Idaho - ideal for eagles soaring overhead on thermals, but a little less cozy for the researchers. Fortunately, the excitement of rappelling down cliff faces to inspect and treat eagles' nests and hatchlings dispelled any thoughts of discomfort.

"I love every part of the season. I love the nestling eagles," gushed Ashley Santiago, a raptor biology doctoral student. "We try to go in first at what we call the 'lamby' stage when they're just all white, fluffy down - they're so cute."

From the right, Ashley Santiago (Ecology, Evolution and Behavior doctoral student), Teresa Ely (BRIDGE coordinator), Kevin Myers (masters of Raptor Biology student), Julie Heath (professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and Director of the Raptor Research Center). Photo provided by Julie Heath.

Santiago, her mentor - Professor of Biology and Director of the Center for Raptor Research Julie Heath - and fellow students and colleagues have been visiting these same nests every spring to treat golden eagles for ectoparasites and a lethal disease called trichomonosis.

But this trip was novel; they were joined by industry research partners from Avangrid, a leading energy company which has invested in the Boise State team's research for three years.

Through sustained financial support, Avangrid helped Heath's team develop a promising method to protect and save Golden Eagle nestlings.

Cliffside medical care

Ectoparasites - akin to human bed bugs - and trichomonosis (a disease caused by a single-celled organism that can lead to large plaques that eventually block a nestling's throat or windpipe) rob nests and skies of young eagles.

From the left, research associate Tim Andrews and graduate Raptor Biology student Kevin Myers inspect a fledgling Golden Eagle. Photo by Julie Heath.

With Avangrid partners observing from a distance, the Boise State team treated empty eagle nests with diatomaceous earth (a fine powder made from fossilized shells commonly used to safely control pests and parasites). They then returned in the spring to administer a single dose of an anti-protozoan drug to the nestlings, and put a transmitter backpack on fledglings.

In their recently published research, the team revealed their method saved an estimated 17 golden eagle nestlings over two years in the study area. According to Heath, this equates to an additional 10 adult eagles to support the breeding population in the region.

"Boise State's researchers are doing some incredibly important work that we believe will benefit golden eagle populations," said Avangrid Director of Wildlife and Permit Compliance, Amy Parsons. "We are proud to support such a dedicated team focused on improving outcomes for golden eagle nestlings. In collaboration with partners like Boise State, we are driving meaningful progress in wildlife conservation."

Ashley Santiago (third from left), and fellow research partners. Photo provided by Julie Heath.

For Santiago, this project marks an important shift in her experiences as a raptor biologist. Her past roles as a raptor technician conducting long-term eagle monitoring in places like Alaska often showed consistent species decline with little to no opportunity to change the trends. "It's easy to feel really helpless. But this project is very special," she said.

"Because of what we are doing on this project, this bird gets to live to fledge and we're giving them a chance to survive. These are tangible impacts on a population, and for long-lived birds like eagles, if they can just make it past this really high-risk mortality age, their probability of surviving after that just goes way up," Santiago said.

Golden (eagle) partnerships

Moving forward, Boise State and Avangrid intend to continue their partnership in golden eagle conservation, with plans to conduct experiments to determine optimal treatment frequency and expand surveys for poultry bugs and trichomonosis at nesting sites across the western United States.

"We are grateful to partner with Avangrid on this work. With their support, we've been able to translate our research into effective management strategies that improve eagle health and survival, and ultimately strengthen the breeding population," Heath said.

Professor Julie Heath examines a Golden Eagle nestling. Photo provided by Julie Heath.

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