Impact of Hurricane Isabel on Bald Eagle Nests and Reproductive Performance in the Lower Chesapeake Bay

Abstract

Abstract Abstract We evaluated the impact of Hurricane Isabel on nest loss and reproductive performance of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Approximately 40% of Bald Eagle nest trees (n = 527) were damaged and 127 nests were lost during the storm. Nest loss was significantly higher than in years prior to and after the storm. Only 46% of pairs that lost nests attempted to breed the following season, compared to 85% of pairs that did not lose nests. Of the pairs that made breeding attempts, only 69% of pairs that lost nests during the hurricane produced young compared to 83% of pairs that did not lose nests. Average brood size was also reduced for pairs that lost nests. The disparity in reproductive performance between the two groups narrowed in the second breeding season after the storm. Hurricane Isabel had a significant but short-lived impact on the Bald Eagle breeding population in the lower Chesapeake Bay.