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By Greg Bartlett

Tracking birds is not a new concept. Scientists around the world have been tracking endangered species with small radio transmitters for years. They also commonly track birds as they migrate to learn more about them. And now animal rehab centers are getting on board.

A bald eagle, appropriately named Liberty, was recently rehabilitated in Huntersville, NC. Before she was released into the wild again, she was fitted with a real time GPS tracker so that the rehab center could track her movements. They even posted the map of her movements on their website so that others could see where Liberty has gone. The bird has flown more than 400 miles already, heading up towards Washington DC and the Potomac River.

The whole town and the surrounding areas have gotten on board and are tracking Liberty’s flight using maps on their home computers after seeing or hearing about her release on July 4th of this year. The bald eagle was released during the city of Davidson’s picnic and concert celebration in honor of the service men and women of the United States. This release of a rare bald eagle, a national symbol, sparked interest in the community.

Liberty was fitted with a special GPS tracker with a battery that will probably last a year. This unique kind of tracking device is designed to eventually fall off of the bird’s leg after a few years. But before the GPS tracker falls off, the rehab center hopes that they will be able to monitor Liberty’s health from afar.