Evidence of bald eagle reemergence in Georgia is exciting bird watchers

Annual surveys of bald eagle nests by the Georgia Department of National Resources found nesting success was above average in most areas checked in 2023.
In this March 23, 2007, file photo, a bald eagle sits on a nest overlooking Lake Oconee near Greensboro, Georgia. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

Annual surveys of bald eagle nests by the Georgia Department of National Resources found nesting success was above average in most areas checked in 2023. That’s especially good news for patriotic bird fans after illness decimated the population in Georgia two years ago.

“The findings were even better than last year’s good results,” said Georgia Department of Natural Resources survey leader Bob Sargent. “That’s most encouraging when you consider the beating that nesting coastal eagle took in 2022 because of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza.”

The number of successful nests on the coast dropped about 30% in 2022, and fewer than half of the nests surveyed produced even one eaglet.