The nest success rates of bald eagles is above average in most areas in Georgia, according to a recent survey by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Led by Dr. Bob Sargent, the survey recorded 145 nest territories in the state. Of those, 116 were successful in producing 178 eagles.
“The findings were even better than last year’s good results,” Sargent said in a report from the DNR. “That’s most encouraging when you consider the beating that nesting coastal eagles took in 2022 because of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza.”
Sargent documented 198 nest territories, 150 successful nests and 232 eagles fledged in 2023. However, the previous survey included the southwest Georgia region, which has nearly 100 nests – while this year's survey has pivoted to the northern half of the state, where nest density is usually lower.
Accounting for eagle nests not monitored, the data collected by Sargent’s team suggested Georgia has maintained over 200 nest territories a year since 2015, while the number of eagles nesting in the state has continued to increase at a slower rate in recent years. However, this is considerable growth compared to the roughly 50 nest territories the state had 25 years ago, Sargent said.
DNR monitors eagle nesting by helicopter twice a year, splitting the state into five sections for surveys. The coast, which is the main area for eagle nesting in Georgia, is surveyed annually. The other areas are checked at least every other year. Flights in January and February mark nests in use. Follow-ups in March and April help gauge how the nests fared.
The 2024 survey primarily focused on the north/ northwest Georgia area, coastal counties and barrier islands; a triangular swath of northeast Georgia framed by Athens, Dublin and reservoirs in the Augusta area; and several reservoirs between Atlanta and Macon.
Across the state, nest success rates varied between an average of 71 percent in the north Georgia area to an above-above average 82 percent on the coast and in central and northeast Georgia.
The survey documented 21 nests throughout north/ northwest Georgia Georgia. Due to fewer big reservoirs and other large water bodies, territories in these areas tend to be more scarce, according to Sargent. The 15 successful territories fledged 28 eagles. In central and northeast Georgia, of 33 occupied nest territories found, 27 fledged eagles, for 42 fledglings in total.
The species’ rebounded population growth over time in the state was likely fueled by the U.S. ban on DDT use in 1972, habitat improvements after enactment of the federal Clean Water and Clean Air acts, protection through the Endangered Species Act, increased public awareness, restoration of local populations through release programs, and forest regrowth, the DNR said.
The public is encouraged to report eagle nests using the form available at https://georgiawildlife.com/bald-eagle, (478) 994-1438 or [email protected]. Such reports typically lead to the discovery of 10-15 new nests a year. (Tip: Osprey nests are sometimes confused with eagles. Learn more at https://georgiawildlife.com/bald-eagle.)
DNR works with landowners to help protect bald eagle nests on private property. Although delisted from the Endangered Species Act in 2007, eagles are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and state law. In Georgia, the species is classified as threatened.
