OAK HARBOR, OH -- Two young bald eagles received leg bands today in Ottawa County as Governor Bob Taft and others joined state wildlife biologists from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) at an event showcasing the states efforts to conserve and protect this endangered species.
The Camp Perry event, one of several bandings held this spring in part to celebrate Ohios Bicentennial, offered Ohioans the opportunity to see up close our national symbol.
The return of bald eagles in Ohio is one of the states greatest wildlife management success stories. In 1979 there were only four nesting pairs of eagles in the state, compared to a record 87 nests today, Taft said.
According to ODNR, a climbing team from the Division of Wildlife retrieved the eaglets from a nest located 70 feet from the ground in a cottonwood tree.
While on the ground, the birds received a brief health examination and were fitted with metal leg bands that will be used to identify them in the future. Banding projects such as this one will allow continued long-term monitoring of Ohios bald eagle population.
State wildlife biologists attribute the programs success to aggressive restoration efforts and habitat protection made possible by proceeds from the sale of hunting licenses and conservation license plates, as well as tax check-off contributions to the Endangered Species and Wildlife Diversity Fund.
Bald eagles can live 15 to 20 years in the wild, reaching breeding maturity by age three, and developing the well-known white head and tail feathers by age six.
Both female and male eagles share in incubating the eggs, which hatch in 35 days. Adult birds feed their young a varied diet, ranging from fish and waterfowl to muskrats and groundhogs. Eaglets grow rapidly and by the time they are 15 weeks old are the same size as the adults with a wingspan of up to seven feet. They learn to fly and leave the nest at about 12 weeks of age although the parent eagles stay nearby for the next month or two to protect and tend to the young if needed.
Adult bald eagles are year-round residents of the state, while immature eagles (those that have not reached breeding maturity) migrate sporadically from October through March. Although bald eagles may range over great distances, they usually return to nest within 100 miles of where they were raised.
An average eagle nest ranges in size from three to five feet across and three to six feet in depth. Ohio has the distinction of being the home of the largest bald eagle nest on record. Referred to as the "Great Nest," it was located in Vermilion and was measured at 12 feet in height, 8 1/2 feet across, and weighed two tons. This nest was in continuous use by different pairs of eagles for over 35 years until it was destroyed during a storm in 1925.
Additional information about Ohios bald eagle population is available through the ODNR web site at ohiodnr.com