| Soaring into Research |
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“I am attempting to compare wing loading between ages and sexes in Golden Eagles,” explains Dr. Lish. “Wing loading is the ratio between weight and wing surface area. It is an aerodynamic characteristic that is particularly important for raptors; birds that spend a considerable amount of time on the wing and rely on agility in flight to capture prey.” During the four days, his team captured three migrant Golden Eagles and had at least six other exciting near misses.
Personnel at the Raptorview Research Institute are studying lead levels in Golden Eagles, tracking migrants with satellite telemetry, using stable hydrogen isotopes to identify natal areas, and taking a whole suite of morphometric information in an attempt to develop a method to sex Gold Eagles in the field. The Oklahoma State Center for Veterinary Health Sciences is one of 28 veterinary colleges in the United States and is fully accredited by the Council on Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association. For more information, visit http://www.cvhs.okstate.edu. |
Dr. James Lish, assistant professor in the Physiological Sciences Department at OSU’s Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, recently spent four days conducting research on one species that soars across our skies - wild Golden Eagles. Lish was at the Raptorview Research Institute in Lincoln, Mont., where he is collaborating on several research projects focused on wild Golden Eagles.
