Jim Ozier has seen Georgia’s bald eagles soar from fewer than 10 pairs to more than 110 in 20 years. The history helps him put this year’s dip in nest numbers in perspective.
Jim Ozier has seen Georgia’s bald eagles soar from fewer than 10 pairs to more than 110 in 20 years. The history helps him put this year’s dip in nest numbers in perspective.
“We’re seeing (eagles) show up in areas where we wouldn’t have thought they would nest,” said Ozier, a program manager with the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division’s Nongame Conservation Section. “I think there’s a potential we could see them (increase) for several more years.”
In aerial surveys this winter and spring, Ozier counted 110 occupied nests, 82 of them successful, and estimated 129 young fledged. Last year he logged 114 territories, 91 successful nests and 143 eaglets. Successful nests are those in which eagles are fledged, or raised to the point they can fly.
According to Ozier, who has monitored Georgia’s bald eagles most years since 1988, the “slight drop” almost certainly does not indicate a population decline.
While three newly discovered nesting territories were added to the statewide list, the use of some territories consistently occupied before could not be documented this year.
Ozier expects news of a few late nests to bump up totals. He is also optimistic that the usual eagle hangouts without a nest will be reoccupied in 2009.
Finding the nests is a factor. Although they average 5 feet across and are usually built in the tops of tall pine or cypress trees, eagle nests can be hard to spot, even from the air. Bald eagles typically use the same nest. But each year a small proportion of established pairs build new ones.
If the new nest is near the old, it is usually easy to find, Ozier said. Yet, some are much farther away and might not be discovered for a while, he said.
Conservation laws, restoration work and a ban on the pesticide DDT have helped the bald eagle recover from near-extinction through much of its range 40 years ago. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took the species off the federally threatened list in August. This American symbol and subject of one of Georgia’s nongame wildlife license plates is still protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and other federal and state legislation.
Bald eagle nests numbered in the single digits in Georgia when Ozier started searching for them. Nesting territories steadily increased, then surged from the low 80s to 96 in 2006 and beyond 100 last year.
Nests are concentrated along the coast, but can be found across the state, usually near major rivers or lakes where the fish, waterbirds and even turtles that eagles eat are abundant. These powerful birds with up to 8-foot wingspans are also moving into areas around smaller bodies of water that are rich in prey.
Georgians who see a bald eagle nest or two or more eagles together are encouraged to contact the Nongame Conservation Section office in Forsyth, (478) 994-1438. When eaglets leave the nest, they are the same size as adults but dark brown, almost black, Ozier said. Bald eagles gain the characteristic white head and tail feathers at 4 to 5 years old.
Buying a nongame wildlife license plate supports conservation of eagles and other species not hunted or fished, as well as rare plants and natural habitats in Georgia. Sales provide crucial funding for the Nongame Conservation Section, which receives no state appropriations.
The tags – one featuring a bald eagle and the other a ruby-throated hummingbird – are available for a one-time $25 fee at county tag offices, by checking the wildlife license plate box on mail-in registrations or through online renewals (http://mvd.dor.ga.gov/tags).
Bald eagles at a glance
** Size: Adults can weigh 14 pounds, with 8-foot wingspans. Males are slightly smaller.
** Prey: Fish are a staple. Eagles also eat waterfowl, turtles, snakes, rabbits and other small animals.
** Mates: Eagles mate for life. They often use the same nest, adding to it each year. (Nests up to 10 feet wide and weighing a half-ton have been recorded.)
** Offspring: Pairs typically lay one to three eggs by December. The young fledge in three months and are on their own in about four.
** Long-lived: Bald eagles live up to 15-25 years in the wild, longer in captivity.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service