Eagles in Our Region. The Bald Eagle. In the past few decades, our national symbol, the Bald Eagle has made a comeback in many areas of our country. The Upper Delaware River region is helping support this rising number of breeding and nesting Bald Ealges. Eagles in Our Region. The Bald Eagle. In the past few decades, our national symbol, the Bald Eagle has made a comeback in many areas of our country. The Upper Delaware River region is helping support this rising number of breeding and nesting Bald Ealges.

The Upper Delaware watershed (New York and Pennsylvania) joins the rest of the nation in celebrating the successful recovery of the bald eagle. In addition to the healthy wintering population that migrates to this region, we also host a growing number of breeding pairs. This is due in part to the aggressive reintroduction program, habitat protection and other management actions.

The comeback of these magnificent birds is largely due to the banning of DDT, which caused problems with the eagle eggshells being too thin during nesting. Also, state and federal agencies have played an enormous role in restoration of Bald Eagles into many areas and protecting the areas where eagles live. Due to these efforts, it is not too difficult to see Bald Eagles in our area. Some of these eagles are seen in the winter. Most of these birds have come down from Canada, in order to feed on fish (their main food source) in the ice-free regions of lakes and rivers in our region. They cannot fish in their home territory since the much colder weather completely freezes their fishing spots up north.

Upper Delaware River Bald Eagles Bald eagle flying and a mother with her eaglet in there nest.

The Bald Eagles that are seen in the
Upper Delaware during spring and summer are resident birds, with the majority of mature eagles having nests in the area. The following is some information of the progress of an area nest. This nest is approximately 90’ above the Delaware River in a White Pine tree. This nest is typical, being about 5 feet or more in diameter, being built of several hundred pounds of sticks and branches, and being close to the water. Most of the photographs are from this nest with a couple of photos from the New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation that were taken during area nest surveys.

Bald eagles mate for life and use the same nest year after year. The nests are quite large, growing to 6 feet in diameter and
10-12 feet in depth. Eagles lay 1-3 eggs in March or April; incubation is 35 days.
Both the male and the female tend to the young. The eaglets remain in the nest for
3 months. They are fully grown when they fledge.

Nest Sites

Nest sites are kept confidential. Any disturbance during the critical breeding season (March — August) can be detrimental to the eagle's survival. The Eagle Institute provides important data about the nesting pairs to the agencies responsible for their recovery.

Young bald eagle perching in a tree.New York's Breeding Data

The young birds in the area have identifying leg bands that will help track their progress. For more information on New York State's breeding eagles, contact the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Endangered Species Unit, by phone at 518-402-8859 or visit their website at dec.ny.gov.

Pennsylvania's Breeding Data

The largest concentration of nesting pairs in Pennsylvania is the Pymatuning area of Crawford County in northwest Pennsylvania. The Delaware River watershed, including parts of Pike and Wayne counties, hosts a number of Pennsylvania pairs. For more information on Pennsylvania breeding eagles, contact the PA Game Commission at 717-787-4250 or visit their website at pgc.state.pa.us/.

Eagle Forum Button.Visit the

Eagle forum to report sightings, ask questions and find out where people are seeing the eagles.

You can also visit www.learner.org for weekly updates on the migration progress of bald eagles being tracked by New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation



From Your Kitchen Counter ButtonClick on the Kitchen counter button above to report eagles that you see on a regular basis, usually right from your kitchen counter!

The data you provide is shared with the agencies responsible for the eagles and their habitat. We appreciate your stewardship and personal responsibility for helping.

The Kitchen Counter is funded in part with a Community Investment grat from Orange & Rockland Utilities, Inc.



Eagle Key Terms (Glossary)

 

Perch Area: Bald eagles spend more than 90% of the daylight hours perching usually close to water for foraging and feeding. They prefer tall deciduous trees with a panoramic view. Eagles will usually perch on the thickest, strongest branch near the top of the tree.

 

Roost Area: The area where eagles spend
the night in close proximity to one another
(communal roost) or during the day in inclement weather. Communal roosts are used year after year and have unique characteristics that the eagles especially need: shelter from the elements, clear views, open flight lanes, etc.
A roost can consist of one tree or hundreds of trees in a large area. Eagles conserve energy
by roosting.

 

Nest Area: Nests are almost always located near water, in the tallest tree. Eagles mate for
life and use the same nest or nest area year
after year.

 

 

Bald eagle adult flying along the Delaware River.

 

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