The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife is calling for the public’s help in finding and reporting bald eagle nests in Ohio until March 16.
Although people can report bald eagle and nest sightings anytime during the year, ODNR is conducting a five-year census to see how the species' population dynamics have changed since its previous census in 2020.
Bald eagles are a national symbol in the U.S. and have a long history in Ohio. The raptors can be found along rivers, wetlands and lakes, and they currently have an abundant population in Ohio. The current population is a far cry from the population that was on both the state and national endangered species list and the national endangered species list in the 1970s, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Lindsay Rist, ODNR wildlife communications specialist, said people can report all types of animals to the online wildlife reporting system, and the department keeps track of the information for various reasons.
“In this instance, we are just interested in the nest location, not just the sighting of a bald eagle,” Rist said.
January and February mark the start of the nest-building season for the Eagles, and the lack of foliage among the trees makes the nest more visible. Bald eagles in Ohio typically lay eggs and incubate in February and March and nest in trees such as sycamores, beeches, oaks and cottonwoods, according to ODNR.
When people report nest sightings through the online system, they are given the option to include a photo of the nest to help verify the report’s accuracy. ODNR will also conduct an in-person verification when possible.
“We do plan to try to verify as many of the new nest reports in person as possible,” Rist said. “In places where we can't verify from the ground, we can do aerial surveys. Our pilot has already found some previously unrecorded nests this year.”
In addition to conservation efforts to help improve the eagle population, federal protection orders, such as the Bald and Gold Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, ensure the sustainability of the eagle population and other birds.
“We have increased the population in Ohio, thanks in part to some of those types of regulations,” Rist said. “Bald eagles have been removed from the endangered species list on the federal level and on the state level, so they don't have any of those protections in place.”
Rural Action, a membership-based nonprofit organization in Appalachian Ohio, also works to improve bird conservation efforts and education in Southeast Ohio.
Madison Donohue, the tourism manager of Appalachian Understories, said Rural Action is currently working with Miller High School’s environmental science class to implement nest boxes on its campus and on a nearby wetland.
Donohue said although the nest boxes are for smaller birds in the area, education is still important for the overall bird population.
Along with its education programs, Rural Action works directly in the environment to improve habitat conditions for various animals, including birds.
"(Rural Action) has restored the water quality of miles of streams and creeks to allow for life to be in those creeks that once weren’t due to acid mine drainage," Donohue said. "When there's healthy water, there's healthy plants, healthy habitats that can house various different species, including all the different bird species as well."
Donohue also helps organize and host Rural Action’s Birds in the Hill Festival which takes place May 9-11 at Camp Oty'Okwa in Hocking Hills.
Donohue said the festival is open to anyone interested in birds or birding. The festival offers events such as guided walks through the camp.
“On those birding outings, we see all sorts of different birds, including raptors and sometimes bald eagles,” Donohue said.
Donohue also said the event is a great public education program and offers more than just an introduction to birding.
“This is a really fun way to take that next step, to learn a little bit more and to be immersed in the community of birding,” Donohue said.
As ODNR and similar groups work to improve the conditions for eagles and other birds in Ohio, there is hope the species will continue to thrive and increase in numbers.
In the 2020 statewide bald eagle nest census, 707 nests were found in Ohio, with Ottawa County having the most at 90, and Sandusky County in second with 50.
Athens has two reported nest sightings: one off of U.S. Route 50 and the other at Glen Ebon. Rist said the area is a good place for bald eagles, and it is a matter of keeping up the conservation efforts and protection acts to expand the population.
“We do have the habitat here, and I would expect that that's only going to increase,” Rist said. “They're going to set up their nest and set up their range, and we have the fish populations here and the habitat to support them.”
