In Ohio, eagles begin their courtship in January or even earlier. Courtship can be as simple as perching next to each other or it can be seen as the eagles soar high in the air and then grab talons in a display that looks like fighting as they fall towards the earth – breaking away before getting hurt. Another form of courtship is by adding and adjusting the sticks in their nests. Eagles tend to keep the same mate year after year unless one happens to die, in which case they will generally find a new mate and build a new nest. We know that is the case with our eagles as one of the pair was found dead on the side of the road after being hit by a car five years ago. The remaining eagle found a new mate and they built a new nest about 300 yards away from the old nest. Their nests are incredible feats of building and can weigh 1,000 pounds!
Eggs are typically laid in February and March and they hatch after about a month and then they fledge or begin to leave the nest about 10-12 weeks later. Adults are easy to see with their white heads and whitetails. This feature doesn’t show up until the eagles are three to five years old and is a sign of sexual maturity. Once the young are able to fly, they might hang around for a couple of weeks to learn how to make it on their own, and then they’re off!
Eagles can be sensitive to human activities and we are taking precautions and following guidance from the USFWS. If you get a chance to visit our Little Miami Preserve, you’ll notice that the trail that goes near the eagle nest is closed during the nesting period. We will be working this off-season to put up a viewing blind that will be at a minimum of 100 yards away from the nest. We are also lucky enough to have been awarded a grant from the Duke Energy Foundation and Louise Taft Semple Foundation to place a live webcam pointed at the nest which was recently installed. Please look for our grand opening of the preserve in late spring where you too can go where eagles dare.