OAK HARBOR, OH -- A recent survey of bald eagles in Ohio shows record numbers of the nation's symbol are wintering in the state, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
Wildlife officials completing the state's mid-winter eagle survey this week recorded a record 259 bald eagles, surpassing last year's record of 204.
The survey included 147 adult eagles and 112 immature eagles (birds less than five years old). Wildlife biologists attribute the high number in part to this winter's mild weather as well as the growing number of resident bald eagles in the state.
Observers found eagles in a record 44 counties during the two-week survey. The highest number of eagles were reported in counties along western Lake Erie with a county record of 53 eagles observed in both Sandusky and Ottawa counties. Other counties with high numbers of eagles observed included Trumbull County (19), Wyandot (18), Erie (11), and Muskingum (10).
Eagles of breeding age usually remain in the state year-round. Cold temperatures and frozen waterways in upper Michigan and Canada could also be pushing resident birds from those areas temporarily into Ohio in search of open water.
The continent-wide survey, coordinated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, is conducted by state wildlife officials each January to determine the wintering bald and golden eagle populations in North America. (Golden eagles are very rarely seen in the Buckeye State.) The survey includes a standardized aerial survey and observations from the ground by field personnel, a team of volunteers, and observations reported by local residents.
Only six bald eagles were observed statewide during the first winter survey conducted in 1979, the year the ODNR Division of Wildlife began the states bald eagle restoration program.
This year's record number and high survey counts over the past several years indicate the nations symbol continues to gain ground in Ohio, said Steve Gray, assistant chief of the ODNR Division of Wildlife. As the breeding population of eagles continues to increase, we can expect the mid-winter surveys to increase as well.
A record 106 young fledged from 74 nests in 26 Ohio counties during last year's nesting season.
The state's bald eagle management program is partially funded by contributions to the State Income Tax Checkoff Program for Wildlife Diversity and Endangered Species. Contributions can be made by checking line 25 (form 1040) or line 17 (EZ form) on the 2001 state income tax form.
The program is also funded by the sale of Ohio conservation license plates including the bald eagle and cardinal plates. The license plates can be purchased through a deputy registrar license outlet or by calling the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles toll-free at 1-888-PLATES3.