Report: Bald eagles breaking breeding records in Arizona
Aug 24, 2015, 4:27 PM | Updated: 6:45 pm
(AP Photo)
(AP Photo)
PHOENIX — Arizonans may soon spy a higher number of bald eagles in the skies.
The Arizona Daily Star reported the birds have broken records this year for the number of breeding areas, eggs laid, successful breeding attempts, young hatched and nestlings fledged.
“Bald eagles in Arizona continue to surprise us and surpass all expectations for the population,” Kenneth Jacobson with the Arizona Game & Fish Department told the paper.
Jacobson said the state had 59 breeding pairs this year compared to just 11 in 1978. Those animals used a record 76 breeding areas to lay 89 eggs. More than 60 of those survived to be fledglings and had a successful first flight.
The bald eagle was removed from the federal endangered species list in 2011. Numerous groups in Arizona work to protect and observe the birds.
Bald eagles typically nest in trees or on cliffs within one mile of water. In Arizona, nests are typically established along the Agua Fria, Bill Williams, Gila, Salt and Verde rivers. They have also been seen along the Mogollon Rim and in Arizona’s White Mountains.
