SC bald eagle population soaring to new heights
Growth in the bald eagle population is nothing new. The species has been steadily growing for the past few decades, and as a result it was removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species in 2007.
But the amount of growth in the region in the last few decades is remarkable. The number of bald eagle nesting pairs in Beaufort County alone has doubled in the last seven years — from 34 pairs in 2010 to 69 recorded in February.
Back in 1990, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ survey counted only 5 nesting pairs in the county.
However, SCDNR wildlife biologist Charlotte Hope said it’s important to note that the number of nesting pairs recorded may not accurately reflect true population growth.
“This (increase) may partly come from the economic recovery during this time. That has turned many undisturbed large tracts of land into developments, thus discovering these nests,” she said.
State, national numbers
According to SCDNR’s website, when tracking of bald eagle nests began in 1977, biologists found just 13 occupied nesting territories in all of South Carolina. In 2016, the agency monitored more than 350 bald eagle nests.
But South Carolina isn’t the only state that’s seen rapid growth in the bald eagle population. According to the Savannah Morning News, Georgia’s bald eagle population was vastly diminished in the 1970s. Today, the state has around 200 nests; about 10 percent of those nests are located in Chatham County near the Georgia-South Carolina line.
The nation as a whole has seen a rebound of the eagle population since the 1960s. The number of nesting pairs grew from 412 known pairs to 1,482 by 1982. A 2016 study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates a total of around 143,000 bald eagles in the U.S., excluding Alaska. There are an estimated 30,000 additional bald eagles living in Alaska.
Where they live
South Carolina isn’t home to the lower 48 states’ largest population of bald eagles; the state was actually ranked 12th in the nation for highest bald eagle population in 2005.
Minnesota and Florida have been fighting for that top spot for the past few years. In both states, the estimated number of nesting pairs is over 1,300. Wisconsin is also estimated to have more than 1,000 active nesting territories. Other populous states include Washington, Oregon, Michigan, Maine, Virginia and Maryland.
The commonality among all of these locations: large bodies of water. Bald eagles typically live around lakes and rivers, and their primary food source is fish. According to SCDNR, bald eagles’ habitats “are characterized by having shallow, slow moving water with abundant fish and waterfowl. Preferred sites have suitable perch and roost sites with minimal disturbance.”
As an area defined by its marshes and rivers, the Lowcountry is a prime location for the species, according to South Carolina state biologists.
Bald eagles do migrate in some areas, but the birds stay year-round in South Carolina. However, additional bald eagles may show up here from other regions in the winter.
March is nearing the end of South Carolina’s bald eagle nesting season, which typically spans from October through mid-May.
Egg laying should end this month for the eagles if it hasn’t already, and incubation takes 5 weeks. Bald eagles lay one to three eggs at a time, and after hatching, the fledglings remain in the nest for 10 to 12 weeks. The young eaglets remain dependent on their parents for food for another 4 weeks, making the entire breeding cycle last around 7 months.
SCDNR says, for nesting, bald eagles prefer large trees with an open limb structure that is near or within a forest or marsh and no more than about a half mile from open water.
According to the SCDNR website, 79 percent of eagle nests are in live pine trees. Eagles also often nest in live cypress trees and dead trees.
Ashley Jean Reese: 843-706-8155, @Reese_Ashley
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This story was originally published March 24, 2017 at 11:24 PM with the headline "SC bald eagle population soaring to new heights."