COLUMBUS, OH -- For the 15th consecutive year, Ohios bald eagle population has set a record number for breeding pairs, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
Current reports from wildlife observers show that so far this year 105 young eagles have been observed fledging from 59 nests in 29 counties. In addition, 12 new nests have been identified in 10 counties.
It seems especially fitting in Ohios bicentennial year that our nations symbol is thriving within our borders, said Steven A. Gray, chief of the ODNR Division of Wildlife. It is also a testament to the efforts of our wildlife biologists and those who support our eagle recovery program that weve gone from just four pairs in 1979 to todays record of 88.
Most eagle nests in Ohio are located along the shores of Lake Erie, but some are well inland, including a nest in Delaware County. Other locations include one at Salt Fork State Park in Guernsey County, and nests at Killdeer State Wildlife Area in Marion and Wyandot counties, and at Knox Lake State Wildlife Area in Knox County.
Last year, 107 eaglets fledged from 58 nests in Ohio.
To coincide with Ohios bicentennial celebration, and to provide the public an opportunity to observe a bald eagle up close and within its habitat, the Division of Wildlife sponsored several public bandings of eaglets this year.
A banding held May 16 at Delaware State Wildlife Area in central Ohio drew several hundred observers, including numerous schoolchildren. And Governor Bob Taft participated in a banding held at Camp Perry in Ottawa County on May 30.
In both instances, eaglets were retrieved from nests in cottonwood trees, nearly 70 feet from the ground. An average eagle nest ranges from three to five feet in width and three to six feet in depth. Both male and female eagles share in the incubation and feeding of the young, that begin to leave the nest at about 12 weeks.
The ODNR Division of Wildlifes 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 land, management, and study of the bald eagle. To purchase the bald eagle license plates, contact your local deputy registrar or call the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles at 1/888-PLATES3.
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.