OHIO WILDLIFE SURVEY Endangered birds of prey soar to new heights as numbers rise

Eagles are getting ready for mating season, which could increase their numbers more.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
MECCA -- Their numbers are finally starting to soar again.
Now, less than 25 years since only four nesting pairs of bald eagles were known to exist in the Buckeye State, their number is heading toward the triple digits.
"There is an outside chance that we could hit 100 nesting pairs this year," explains Mark Shieldcastle, a wildlife biologist with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. "That's just a milestone number, though. It's not a goal, or a record. It's just impressive."
The numbers are based on volunteers' recordings of sightings of bald and golden eagles throughout the state. The Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey, which is conducted each January, shows so far this year that 372 eagles were spotted in 67 of Ohio's 88 counties. The number is an increase of 68 over last year.
Those birds represent Ohio birds as well as those migrating to and from the North, Shieldcastle said.
By county
Although Sandusky County recorded the largest number of birds with 67, Trumbull County led the northeast area of the state with 11 birds spotted. Mahoning County recorded four, and Columbiana County had one.
The key to a good nesting spot for bald eagles, Shieldcastle said, is water.
"In Sandusky County and the surrounding areas, you have marshy regions," he said. "In Trumbull County, they have Mosquito Lake. The numbers are also big in the Shenango Valley, because of the waters there. That makes Trumbull County a big spot in Northeast Ohio."
The surge in the number of bald eagles is promising for a number of reasons, Shieldcastle explained. First, it means that the numbers have steadily increased over the years since the bird was placed on the endangered species list in the 1970s. It also means the birds have learned to adapt.
Birds' decline
In the late 1800s, the last time the number of bald eagles was this high, the birds fell prey to man on a number of levels. In addition to hunting the birds, humans also encroached on the natural habitat of the bald eagle, forcing the two to compete for land and food. Shieldcastle also noted that pollution also led to the decline of the bird. According to DOW information, use of pesticides, such as DDT, also affected the birds, making the shells of their eggs fragile and prone to breakage. The substance was banned in 1972.
"Now, we see they are tolerating situations that 30 years ago they never would have tolerated," he said. "As little as 30 and 40 years ago, we were seeing them only nesting in deep marshes. These days, we are finding nests overlooking farmland. Those are areas we never would have dreamed of them nesting."
When eaglets are raised in those areas, he said, they see it as normal and are more apt to nest in areas their parents and grandparents never would have considered, he added.
The eagles are just now coming into their mating season, Shieldcastle said. Traditionally, a nesting pair will come together between the second week of February and the end of March, and it then takes 35 days for the eggs to hatch. After that, Shieldcastle said, the chicks will stay in the nests for 10 to 12 weeks and then stay under the protection of their parents for one or two more months.
Shieldcastle said that though the largest number of bald eagles is routinely recorded in Alaska, Ohio traditionally falls in the top 10 in the lower 48 states.
slshaulis@vindy.com