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Monitoring birds - Protecting waters - Inspiring change
May Marks Start of Bald Eagle and Colonial Waterbird Research Season in Michigan
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — May 11, 2026 — The Wings Over Water Research Institute (WOWRI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advancing environmental science in the Great Lakes region, is launching its 2026 field season with monitoring and sampling of bald eagle chicks and herring gull and Caspian tern eggs and chicks. Fieldwork begins May 9 and will continue to generate critical long-term data for federal, state, tribal agencies and citizen and environmental groups.
Bald eagles and colonial waterbirds—including gulls, Caspian terns, osprey, herons, egrets and pelicans—serve as key indicators of environmental health. As fish-eating predators, they feed their young from a localized area near their nest, accumulating contaminants such as PCBs, mercury and PFAS from surrounding waters and food webs. Changes in reproduction, behavior, health and survival can signal underlying issues in aquatic ecosystems, including pollution, disease and habitat stress. Long-term monitoring of these species is essential to detect emerging threats, evaluate environmental cleanup efforts and track the overall health of the Great Lakes.
“It was a very difficult winter, with heavy snowfall and reduced food availability, both of which can impact eagles,” said Dr. William Bowerman, WOWRI-affiliated researcher and professor at the University of Maryland. “We are still evaluating conditions across the state as we determine priority nests for sampling this season.”
At the same time, Dr. Keith Grasman, a WOWRI researcher and professor at Calvin University, is conducting fieldwork at herring gull colonies along Lake Michigan.
“These birds provide an important window into environmental impacts, helping us assess progress in addressing legacy pollution and understand the ongoing health of the Great Lakes,” Grasman said. “There is strong public interest in these waters, both for their economic value and ecological importance, and long-term monitoring is essential to ensure we are making real progress.”
Bald Eagle Field Work
WOWRI and its research partners collaborate with federal, state and tribal agencies across Michigan to carry out fieldwork and data collection. Statewide aerial surveys conducted by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in late April and early May identify priority bald eagle nests for taking biological samples and banding across the Lower Peninsula.
Field efforts also focus on nests within the Ceded Lands—areas where tribal nations retain legally protected rights to natural resource use and management. These include sites along Lake Michigan and in partnership areas such as Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Voyageurs National Park. WOWRI researchers will work closely this season with the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians’ Natural Resources staff to provide hands-on training and build capacity for ongoing monitoring.
This year’s fieldwork will also support a U.S. Geological Survey Patuxent Research Center study on PFAS contamination, an emerging area of research with significant implications for wildlife and human health.
Additional banding and sampling are planned for nests near Marquette and Munising in the Hiawatha National Forest, including areas near known PFAS sites, and potential sampling along the Kalamazoo River as conditions allow.
Colonial Waterbird Field Work
Colonial waterbird studies will include assessment of reproductive, developmental and immunological health effects associated with exposure to significant legacy contaminants, such as PCBs, and contaminants of emerging concern such as PFAS in herring gulls and Caspian terms in Michigan. Study areas will include Saginaw Bay and Grand Traverse Bay with reference colonies in the lower St. Marys River and Whitefish Bay.
About Wings Over Water Research Institute
Founded in 2025, the Wings Over Water Research Institute is dedicated to the long-term monitoring of bald eagles and fish-eating waterbird populations across the Great Lakes region and beyond. Using these species as sensitive indicators of water quality, WOWRI conducts rigorous research, public outreach and educational programming to inform environmental management and cleanup decisions.
To learn more and make a donation, visit www.wingsoverwaterri.org.
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