Complete migration cycle of golden eagles breeding in northern Quebec

Radio tracking via satellite was initiated to study the year-round movements of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos canadensis) breeding on the east coast of Hudson Bay, Quebec. In June and August 1992, six Golden Eagles (five adults and one juvenile) were marked, three of which completed their year-round movements. The eagles left their breeding area in mid- to late October and migrated to known wintering areas in the eastern United States. They used different routes but each followed the same general path during fall and spring migrations, which lasted between 26 and 40 days, and 25 and 51 days, respectively. Eagles wintered from 93 to 135 days in areas located 1,650 to 3,000 km south of their breeding territory. In spring 1993, satellite telemetry located the eagles in their former breeding territory in late March, mid-April and early May. This study confirms previous suggestions that some breeding Golden Eagles wintering in eastern United States come from northern Quebec and describes the first successful tracking of the complete yearly migration cycle of a bird of prey.