Study Information about Sydney Olympic Park

White-bellied Sea-Eagles

----------------------------------------

There has been a White-bellied Sea-Eagle (WBSE) nest in the Newington Nature Reserve, Sydney Olympic Park, Australia for many years with a succession of eagle pairs renovating the nest in the breeding season. Historic observations go back to at least 1991. The early records are incomplete, but eagles have been observed in the woodland or fishing along the Parramatta River for many years. The first recorded young in the nest was in 2003. In 2004, a pair of WBSE built a nest in a Grey Mangrove tree on the banks of the Parramatta River. The female was sitting on eggs, which were expected to hatch in a few days, when she died. Soon after the male was also found dead, nearby in the river. Tests were conducted and it was probable that both died from the some unknown cause.

Because of the results of the tests and the close proximity of Homebush Bay which had high levels of contaminates, that a closer study should be conducted on the breeding success of these WBSE.

Volunteers from BirdLife Australia, Southern NSW formed a research team and formulated a program to closely monitor the breeding habits and the food that is feed to the chicks. The method chosen was to install CCTV cameras close to the nest and record all this video for review. It was proposed that there would be no physical contact with the Adult Eagles or the Chicks, but unfortunately external man made occurrence in 2012 caused a situation where intervention was necessary.

Over the years eagles were reported, but not nesting in the Sydney Olympic Park area, until 2008, when the previous female (2008-2015) nested successfully. Nest renovation and egg laying was observed and photographed from a hide nearby. The first year that the study started using CCTV cameras was 2009.

EagleCAM Researchers: Judy Harrington, Geoff Hutchinson & Jon Irvine.

Acknowledgements:
We would like to thank Sydney Olympic Park Authority and National Parks & Wildlife for allowing us access to this nest and their generous assistance.
We would also like to thank BirdLife Australia for allowing us to display EagleCAM at the Discovery Centre.

___________________________________________________________

Click on a Heading or a Graph to go to that years data

 
Click here to see a chart of Chick/Egg numbering

___________________________________________________________

2022 Breeding Season

Graph 06           Graph 08
___________________________________________________________

2021 Breeding Season

Graph 06           Graph 08
___________________________________________________________

2020 Breeding Season

Graph 02           Graph 04
___________________________________________________________

2019 Breeding Season

Eagle claw           SE-24
___________________________________________________________

2018 Breeding Season

Nest           Eggs

___________________________________________________________

2017 Breeding Season

Intruder Female in Animal Hospital     Intruder Female in Animal Hospital

___________________________________________________________

2016 Breeding Season

SE-17 and SE-18           SE-17 and SE-18

___________________________________________________________

2015 Breeding Season

SE-15 in care at ARH           Female with SE-15 hatching

___________________________________________________________

2014 Breeding Season

SE-13 measurements           Eggs

___________________________________________________________

2013 Breeding Season

Nest           Eggs

___________________________________________________________

2012 Breeding Season

Graph of nest visits 2012           Nest

___________________________________________________________

2011 Breeding Season

Graph of nest visits 2011     Graph of time on nest visits 2011     Nest 2011

___________________________________________________________

2010 Breeding Season

Graph of nest visits 2010     Graph of time on nest visits 2010     Nest 2010

___________________________________________________________

2009 Breeding Season

Graph of nest visits 2009     Graph of time on nest visits 2009     Nest 2009

___________________________________________________________