Nesting bald eagles spotted in Cape Cod for the first time since 1905, signs the once endangered animal is beginning to return to Massachusetts
- MassWildlife reports a bald eagle nest was spotted in Cape Code
- The nest is the first seen in the region in 115 years, and one of 70 across the state
- The growing bald eagle population was enough to have the bird moved from ‘threatened’ to ‘special concern’ on the list of endangered animals
Bald eagle nests have been observed in Cape Cod for the first time since 1905.
According to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, the new nest was spotted in the small seaside town of Barnstable, part of a major increase in the overall bald eagle population.
More than 70 new bald eagle nests were observed across the state, including in Fitchburg, Wenham, Concord, Rutland, Wareham, Medford, Northampton, and Hudson.
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife reports that a bald eagle nest was spotted in Cape Cod for the first time in 115 years, in the small seaside town of Barnstable
The surge in bald eagle populations was enough to help change the bird’s status from ‘threatened’ to ‘special concern’ on the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list.
In another first, nesting bald eagles were also seen on Martha’s Vineyard, attempting to incubate eggs in a nest built by osprey that had migrated south for the winter.
According to a report from MassWildlife, the Martha’s Vineyard eggs were cracked and irreperably damaged after the ospreys returned and a fight over the nest took place.
‘Although difficult for observers to witness, these events are all signs of a thriving eagle population in Massachusetts,’ MassWildlife said in a statement on their website.
‘On the upside, more and more people across the Commonwealth are experiencing the thrill of seeing eagles in their own neighborhoods as these birds continue to expand their range to urban and suburban landscapes.’
More than 70 bald eagle nests were documented across the state, bring the total number of ‘fledged’ bald eagles in the state since 1989 to 750, a major increase after having nearly been wiped out in the early 20th century
Bald eagles had largely disappeared from the state in the early 1900s as the result of hunting and poisoning from DDT and other pollutants commonly used at the time.
In 1982, 41 bald eagles were relocated to a reserve in Massachusetts which slowly led to a population rebound.
According to state officials, around 750 bald eagle chicks have ‘fledged,’ or survived after hatching long enough to develop feathers and wings capable of flight–something that typically takes two to three weeks.