New England State’s Wildlife Asking Public to Report Bald Eagles Carrying Sticks – Why?

Bald eagles are stunning birds.

They have been a symbol for freedom as the national bird for the United States of America since 1782.

Like the United States, bald eagles are opportunistic predators. However, despite their size and symbol of our country, bald eagles have been endangered for quite some time.

Although bald eagles' numbers are rising and they are no longer endangered, many states are still concerned with getting the animal population up and tracking the iconic birds as they grow.

According to a Telegram and Gazette article,

With a little more than 70 bald eagle nests left in the state (of Massachusetts), officials are asking for help to identify new nest locations as the local population continues to rebound.

 

"The population has been increasing ever since the 1980s when conservation efforts really began," said MassWildlife state ornithologist Andrew Vitz to Telegram and Gazette.

With that population increase, it becomes more of a challenge to monitor and track the birds, so we rely heavily on the help from the public to report their observations.

We are currently in the season where bald eagles will be collecting nest material. If you look up at the sky between now and the end of February, you will likely see bald eagles flying with twigs and sticks to rebuild an existing nest or start one from scratch.

"It's important to remember eagles can turn up anywhere," Vitz said to Telegram and Gazette. "They traditionally like to be near bodies of water, lakes, perhaps a reservoir, or river, but sometimes they can turn up in surprising places."

Anyone who spots a bald eagle carrying nesting materials is asked to email mass.wildlife@mass.gov with the details, a picture if possible, and when and where they spotted the bird.