Wildlife Biologist Discovers Second Bald Eagle Nest on Savannah River Site

A newly established bald eagle nest in a treetop alongside a lake on Savannah River Site. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

AIKEN, S.C. - While conducting aerial surveys over bald eagle nesting areas on Savannah River Site (SRS), a U.S. Forest Service wildlife biologist found a special surprise: an active bald eagle nest along the edge of one of the site's lakes.

This brings the site's number of known active nests for bald eagles to two. Two breeding pairs of eagles reside on the site.

While those figures may seem small, the implications of what they mean is much larger. Eagles don't reach breeding maturity until 4 to 6 years of age. That likely means these birds of prey have been present in the area for some time. The last known active nest in that area was in 2011.

"While we don't expressly manage the natural resources for bald eagles, the fact that we have a growing population of an endangered species is a good indicator of the successful forest management practices in place here on Savannah River Site," Savannah River Wildlife Program Manager Thomas Mims said.

As part of its wildlife management program on the SRS, the Forest Service conducts annual wildlife surveys for different species throughout the year. Past surveys for bald eagles found just one nest with an average of eight to 15 documented sightings across the site.

Visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service webpage to learn more about bald eagles. For more about the Forest Service wildlife management program on SRS, contact Mims at [email protected]. To learn more about the mission of the U.S. Forest Service on SRS, contact Joe Orosz, public affairs specialist, at [email protected].

-Contributor: Joe Orosz