October Marks the Beginning of Bald Eagle Nesting Season in Florida

For considered one of America’s most iconic birds of prey, October marks the start of nesting season. Whereas some Bald Eagles are year-round Floridians, many others migrate right here from  cooler climes for the winter nesting months. Our EagleWatch volunteers have already seen eagles returning to their nests, including extra materials in preparation for the season to start. Usually, Audubon biologists anticipate to see eggs in nests by December or early January, and the incubation interval is a bit more than a month lengthy. Eaglets stay with their dad and mom for a lot of weeks after hatching, so the “official” nesting season wraps up on Could 15.

EagleWatch

Based mostly on the Audubon Middle for Birds of Prey, EagleWatch displays Bald Eagle nests in Florida, documenting nest standing, location, and doable disturbances or threats to nesting actions. As one of many premier group science packages in Florida, EagleWatch works to guard roughly 40% of the state’s nesting pairs. These efforts present details about  which areas are most important to Bald Eagle inhabitants success, the threats these areas face, and tips on how to finest safeguard the well being and longevity of these habitats whereas respecting the wants of native communities.

Assist

Audubon is at all times searching for new EagleWatch volunteers. To study extra, click here.

To report an eagle nest in your group, click here.

Historical past

Practically dropped at extinction by searching within the late 1800s and later by way of DDT within the Fifties, the Bald Eagle has made a comeback. After DDT was banned within the mid-Seventies, Bald Eagle populations started to get better, and in 1995 the species was reclassified from “endangered” to “threatened” by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. By 2007, Bald Eagles had been faraway from the listing of threatened and endangered species, having sufficiently recovered. 

Florida has one of many highest densities of breeding Bald Eagles within the decrease 48 states. Though they’re now not on the listing of threatened and endangered species, Bald Eagles are nonetheless protected by each state and federal legal guidelines. Their present threats embody habitat and nest destruction, car strikes, and territory fights. With persevering with land improvement, many eagles are selecting to nest on human-made constructions corresponding to utility poles and communication towers. These non-natural nest websites can current distinctive hazards to the younger eaglets once they fledge.

To study extra in regards to the 2024-2025 nesting season, verify our Audubon’s latest EagleWatch report here.

Audubon’s Middle for Birds of Prey has been rehabilitating birds and advocating for eagle conservation since 1979. Its onsite Raptor Trauma Clinic treats greater than 700 injured, sick, and orphaned raptors annually, and to this point has launched virtually 800 Bald Eagles again to the wild.