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July 20, 2007
BALD EAGLE REPRODUCTION IN OHIO SHOWS CONTINUED SUCCESS
A record number of 164 nests in the state this year
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| Photo by Chris Adams |
COLUMBUS, OH - Reflecting national trends, Ohio’s bald eagle population continues to grow and expand. Biologists with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife count a record high of 164 nests in the state this year, the 20th consecutive year that the state’s breeding bald eagle population increased.
Of those 164 nests, 115 were successful in producing young eagles. Current reports from wildlife biologists and volunteer observers indicate that 186 eaglets have fledged from nests in 45 Ohio counties.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the continued recovery of the bald eagle in Ohio. This is an accomplishment not only for our staff, but all Ohioans,” said David M. Graham, chief of the Division of Wildlife.
Last year, Ohio marked 150 nests, with 110 of those nests producing 205 eaglets. This year, 17 new nests have been identified in 14 counties.
Newly removed from the federal Endangered Species List, bald eagles have made a dramatic comeback in the last 30 years. Since 1979 - when only four bald eagle pairs were found in the state - the Division of Wildlife has helped reestablish Ohio’s eagle population through habitat development and protection; fostering of young eagles; and extensive observation of eagle nesting behavior.
Most eagle nests in Ohio are located along the shores of Lake Erie, but now some are well inland, including nests in Delaware, Hancock, Mercer, and Wyandot counties. Counties with new nests in 2007 were Crawford (2), Marion (2), Sandusky (2), Erie (1), Geauga (1), Knox (1), Ottawa (1), Pickaway (1), Portage (1), Summit (1), Trumbull (1), Tuscarawas (1), Washington (1), and Wyandot (1). A majority of the nests occur on private land.
An average eagle nest ranges from 3 to 5 feet in width and 3 to 6 feet in depth. The nests are usually built high in a tall tree. Both male and female eagles share in the incubation and feeding of the young, which begin to leave the nest at about 12 weeks of age. An adult bald eagle has snow-white head and tail feathers. Its body color is very dark brown, almost black. Yellow eyes, beak, and feet accent the bird's appearance. Young eagles do not achieve this appearance until the age of 5 or 6 years. Until that time, they are uniformly dark brown from head to tail feather. Their undersides are mottled white with buff and cream blotches.
The ODNR Division of Wildlife’s work with bald eagles is funded through the sale of the bald eagle license plate. Proceeds from the sale of this plate are devoted to acquisition of habitat, management, and study of the bald eagle. To purchase the bald eagle license plate, contact your local deputy registrar or call the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles at 1-888-PLATES3.
Funding is provided, in part, through matching funds from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service state wildlife grants program, to benefit species of greatest conservation need. Additional funding for bald eagle restoration is derived from contributions to the Wildlife Diversity and Endangered Species Fund through a check-off on the Ohio state income tax form.
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