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Wildlife Featured in this article
- Bald eagle
Florida’s bald eagles rebound from hurricane
Although many of their nests were destroyed, most pairs rebuilt
Last year’s Hurricane Ian dealt a blow to bald eagle nests in Florida, but observers say the raptors have rebounded. The Category 5 hurricane destroyed 148 nests, according to Audubon volunteers who monitored the damage, and it damaged many nearby trees where the eagles might have tried to rebuild. Yet volunteers found about 70 percent of the eagle pairs rebuilt in the same season, fledging over 100 chicks.
“The resilience of our eagles always inspires me,” said Shawnlei Breeding, Audubon’s EagleWatch program manager. “No matter what challenges they face, they carry on.”
Florida has about 2,500 nesting bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) pairs—up from fewer than 100 in the 1970s.
Header Image: A pair of bald eagles appear in a nest in Florida. Although Hurricane Ian destroyed many nests, most eagles rebuilt them in the same season. Credit: Wknight94
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