Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Date of this Version
2012
Citation
2012 Nebraska Bald Eagle Nesting Report.
Abstract
The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) was once threatened with extinction. Since the mid- to late 20th Century, Bald Eagle numbers have increased throughout North America. Bald Eagles bred historically in Nebraska, but the species was absent as a breeder for most of the 20th Century. The first modern active and successful Bald Eagle nest in Nebraska was near Valley, Douglas County, in 1991 (Farrar 1991). Since 1991, the number of Bald Eagle pairs nesting in Nebraska has increased (Jorgensen et al. 2010, 2011). The Bald Eagle was removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species in 2007 and the following year it was removed from the Nebraska state list of threatened and endangered species. Even though Bald Eagle numbers have surpassed recovery goals, annual statewide nest monitoring has continued. Nest monitoring is conducted by several entities and individuals, but it is coordinated by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s (NGPC) Nongame Bird Program. Here, we present results from the 2012 nest monitoring in Nebraska.
METHODS - Bald Eagle nesting data was collected in two ways: 1) we conducted targeted surveys, and, 2) we compiled information provided by cooperators. The principal objective of all monitoring was to determine locations of active Bald Eagle nests. Active is defined as a nesting pair engaged in breeding behavior such as incubating eggs or tending to young.
Comments
Copyright Nebraska Game & Parks.