January is the time for the annual Mid-winter Bald Eagle Survey, coordinated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The survey has just wrapped up. Most states in the U.S. participate in the survey, including New York and Pennsylvania.

This survey takes place during the first two weeks of January, with January 9 to 10 as target dates. Migrant eagles are in their usual wintering grounds from Canada by then and are counted by observers on foot, in automobiles, or by fixed- and rotary-winged aircraft.

In 1979, when the survey was first conducted, most of the eagles that were counted were migrants. With the successful eagle re-introduction efforts conducted by many state wildlife agencies, coupled with more breeding success due to the ban on the use of DDT, more eagles (both resident and migrant) have been seen with each successive year. Although this survey is named the Mid-winter Bald Eagle Survey, any golden eagles observed are counted as well. Golden eagles do not breed in this area, but several golden eagles are observed in the region every winter, having migrated from Canada during the fall.

It’s too early to get statewide totals of the survey, but some smaller areas, such as state and national parks and wildlife refuges, have tallied count numbers for their respective areas. Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in upstate New York was one of the areas that had 2016 results available. A record 77 eagles were seen by counters this year in the refuge, which far exceeds last year’s tally (and record) of 43 eagles. Locally, mild weather and little ice on the river caused eagles to be dispersed all along the river instead of congregating at ice-free confluences and junctions. When all individual totals are put together, overall counts are expected to continue the upward trend that has been seen in recent years.