Each summer, thousands of brown pelicans journey from southern wintering grounds in Florida and Cuba to the Chesapeake Bay to breed on the marshy islands of Maryland’s eastern shore, including Adam Island, Smith Island, Holland Island and Taylor’s Island. However, little is known about the daily habits of these migratory birds once they reach the Chesapeake Bay, how long they stay and the full range of their habitat. On July 11, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center scientist Autumn-Lynn Harrison set out to deploy GPS tags on the Bay’s brown pelicans to track their migrations and better understand these iconic birds. This project was made possible through Friends of the National Zoo’s Conservation Grant program.