Bald Eagle
January 24, 2024
The PAWS team recently celebrated the release of three juvenile Bald eagles which had been in our care since this past summer.
Each of the young raptors had tumbled to the ground when their respective nests collapsed, deterring their concerned parents from providing necessary care. Fortunately, compassionate members of the local community contacted PAWS Wildlife Center where the downed eagles were quickly admitted and triaged. After months of support from the rehabilitation team, the fully-grown eagles were brought to a perennial feeding ground for release among their conspecifics in early December.
Mated Bald eagle pairs return to their territories to spend the winter and early spring building and fortifying massive nests that can weigh over 1000 pounds. These dedicated parents will often return to the same nest year after year, resulting in woven structures that measure up to eight feet in diameter. Chicks hatch in late spring and require continuous parental support through the summer and early fall as they learn to fly and hunt on their own.
It is important to give eagles their space! These iconic raptors are sensitive to human disturbance; individual eagles and their nests are federally protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Photo of a released Bald eagle (immature female “8-N”) by Julene Bailie