OAK HARBOR, OH -- The nation's symbol continues to fly high above the Buckeye State and wildlife biologists are asking Ohio residents to report bald eagle nesting activity they may observe in their communities.
Ohios resident bald eagles are busy this time of the year as they carry out nest maintenance chores in preparation for next spring's nesting season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
Landowners, hunters, birders and other outdoor enthusiasts can be a tremendous help by reporting anything that looks like a new nest, or any nest building activity, said Mark Shieldcastle, wildlife biologist with the ODNR's Division of Wildlife Crane Creek Research Station in Ottawa County. Reports from the general public on eagle nest building activities enable us to more closely monitor the population of this state endangered bird.
Anyone who observes bald eagles actively building a nest, or discovers a large nest that they think may be an eagle's nest, should contact an ODNR Division of Wildlife district office or county wildlife officer. Wildlife biologists caution anyone who discovers a nest against approaching the area. Bald eagles are sensitive to human disturbances, which may result in abandonment of a nest.
Ohios nesting bald eagle population has gone from only four active nesting pairs along southwestern Lake Erie in 1979 to a modern record 79 nesting pairs in 28 counties recorded during the 2002 nesting season. This year, Ohios eagles fledged 107 young, one more than last years record number.
Eagle nests in Ohio are located from the shores of Lake Erie south to Chillicothe and from Mercer County, which borders Indiana to Mahoning County along the Pennsylvania border.
Each fall, adult eagle pairs perform routine repairs by adding sticks, twigs, and grasses to established nests. Some eagles may rebuild nests that were destroyed due to storms, while others may be reestablishing their nests at new locations. Young eagles reaching maturity are building their first nests as they scout breeding territories for their first nesting season.
Successful nesting seasons with record numbers of eaglets raised in Ohio over the past decade are producing a snowball effect. Increasing numbers of new nests are popping up each year, as bald eagles are inclined to establishing nesting territories in areas where they were reared. Eagles reach breeding maturity at 3 to 4 years of age.
We never know where a new nest will show up. These young birds establish nesting territories across the state, showing no preference over public wildlife areas to private lands, Shieldcastle said. Woodlots and remote areas along watersheds are generally the most preferred nesting habitat for eagles. Its very possible there are nests in remote areas that no one has yet discovered.
Bald eagles build their nests high in large trees, usually near a body of water. A typical nest averages 4 feet in diameter, is 2 to 4 feet thick, and can weigh as much as a ton.
The largest eagle nest ever recorded was the Great Nest at Vermilion, Ohio. It measured 12 feet high and 8 feet wide, and weighed nearly two tons. Different eagle pairs used this nest for more than 35 years until March 1925 when a storm knocked it 80 feet to the ground.
Active nests are currently recorded in the following Ohio counties: Coshocton (1); Crawford (1); Delaware (1); Erie (7); Geauga (2); Guernsey (3); Hancock (1); Henry (1); Holmes (1); Huron (2); Knox (2); Licking (1); Lorain (2); Lucas (5); Mahoning (3); Marion (1); Mercer (1); Noble (1); Ottawa (11); Portage (2); Ross (1); Sandusky (11); Seneca (4); Stark (1); Trumbull (6); Wayne (1); Wood (2) and Wyandot (5).
The state's bald eagle restoration efforts are funded by the sale of the 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. Funding is also provided by taxpayer contributions to the Wildlife Diversity and Endangered Species Fund through a check-off option on the state income tax form.