Data Reporting

Volunteers are asked to visit the nest at least twice every month for a minimum of twenty minutes per visit from October 1 through May 15 as well as complete and submit your two site visit reports each month.

The preferred method for EagleWatch data entry is the new web-based system at www.auduboncitizenscience.org. Once your nest is assigned, you will receive an email invitation to join the EagleWatch website, with instructions on how to register and login. The user manual will also be distributed at the time of the invitation. Similar in scope and content to the hard copy site visit form, the on-line form has been designed for ease and consistency in compilation of data for two different observation dates per month.

Click to download

For volunteers who have limited access to the internet, or may otherwise have difficulty submitting data online, there is an alternative method of data submission. This is a PDF form that can be completed on your computer or manually, saved with a unique file name, which includes the FWC nest number and date (i.e., “PO167 2-1-2016”) and then emailed to eaglewatch@audubon.org. The form accommodates two site visits per month. While EagleWatch will continue to accept data in this way, volunteers are strongly encouraged to enter data using the online system described above.

Whichever method you use, the data form is the same. Carefully review the form so you’ll be able to fill the required fields on the form. Only use this form if you have limited access to the internet.

Reporting Essentials:

  1. Include the nest number on every report, and make sure it is correct when entering data online. If you do not know your nest number, contact your local coordinator or email eaglewatch@audubon.org.
  2. Date and time your observations are made.
  3. Condition of nest.
  4. Type and condition of nesting substrate (artificial structures are recorded as MMS on the online form).
  5. Number of eagles and/or eaglets observed that belong to that nest. (Visiting birds from previous broods should be noted in the Specific Observation section).
  6. Describe any eagle activity, i.e., perching, flying, eating, sitting in nest, bringing nesting material, vocalizing, etc.
  7. Additional room is available for more lengthy descriptions of your site visit. (Usually later in the season when the eaglets can be observed and are entertaining to watch, observers have more details to record). This is a good place to include an estimation of hatch date, as well as any important details related to potential nest disturbance.
  8. If you note distress on the part of the nesting eagles at any time, try to identify the cause and report it immediately to the Audubon EagleWatch coordinators. Again, complete details are important.
  9. The most import piece of data to collect during the nesting season is the number of young that have fledged. A fledged eaglet is defined as “capable of coordinated, sustained flight”. Observations of eaglets flying, as well as spotting them in trees in the vicinity of the nest are excellent indications of successful fledging.
  10. Zero is an important number! A blank field on a data sheet cannot be assumed to be a zero for the purpose of data analysis and research. If the number of eagles or eaglets observed is zero, be sure to record this number.



1101 Audubon Way, Maitland, FL 32751
407-644-0190 Ext. 118