Bald eagles have become a regular sight in Cuyahoga Valley 

National Park (CVNP). In 2006 eagles built a nest 

in the Pinery Narrows, the first recorded in 

Cuyahoga County in more than 70 years. 

That nest was unsuccessful, but a pair 

returned to rebuild nearby and 

has since successfully raised 

eaglets. We expect the local 

population to grow 

over time.

In 1975 bald eagles were close to

extinction, with just four breeding pairs

in Ohio. Today there are more than 200

breeding pairs in the state and at least

10,000 breeding pairs in the lower 48.

Banning the pesticide DDT in 1972 and

establishing the Endangered Species Act

in 1973, with its strong protective

measures, have played a major role in

their comeback.

Locally, efforts to improve water 

quality and preserve wetlands have 

transformed the Cuyahoga River 

into an attractive place for the eagles to 

remain throughout the year.

In 2007, after 40 years of conservation

effort, the bald eagle was removed from

the federal list of threatened and

endangered species. As a federal species 

of concern, it still has strong protection 

under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection

Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The 

eagles’ return to the Cuyahoga Valley and 

other places nationwide is a great success 

story, showing that our efforts to care for 

the environment can make a difference.

The Cuyahoga Valley, with expansive, 

secluded wooded wetlands and 

rebounding fish populations, has become 

an ideal place for eagles to feed and nest. 

The great blue heronry in the Pinery 

Narrows was a natural choice for the 

eagles’ first nest location. Eagles prefer 

tall trees and pre-existing nests that they 

can expand. 

Bald eagles have been steadily increasing 

throughout the nation. In Ohio the greatest 

concentration occurs along western Lake 

Erie near Sandusky, from where eagles 

have been dispersing to new areas.

Adult bald eagles are especially striking, 

with bright white heads and tails that 

contrast sharply with their solid brown 

bodies. Immature eagles lack the white 

head. Their coloring is uniformly dark 

brown with bright white on the underside 

of their wings close to their bodies. It 

takes five to six years before the birds 

develop adult plumage. Males and 

females appear identical in all phases 

of development.

Eagles are 30 to 43 inches in length and 

have a seven-foot wingspan. They soar 

with their wings nearly flat, not tilted up 

like turkey vultures. 

What Has Caused the Comeback of Eagles?

Bald Eagles Return

Identifying Bald Eagles

Why Are Eagles Here?

©STEVE PADDON

©LISA ROMANIUK

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Cuyahoga Valley
Courtship begins in the fall and resumes 

in late January, when eagles perform 

amazing aerial displays. The pair 

plunges through the air in very high 

dives, locking their talons and breaking 

apart just when it looks as if they 

are going to crash to the ground. As 

outstanding as these displays are, it is 

believed that nest building is even more 

critical for establishing bonds. Bald 

eagles are monogamous and thought to 

mate for life. 

Eagle nests are often found in marshes 

and swamps, and along rivers 

throughout Ohio. Typically, nests are 

located in large trees 50 to 100 feet 

above the ground and close to water, 

where the eagles can find ample fish. 

Eagles will use an existing nest, adding 

to it until it is an average of three to five 

feet across and three to six feet deep. It 

is lined with grass, moss, and sometimes 

cattails. Some eagle nests can weigh as 

much as a ton.

In late winter, eagles lay one to three 

(typically two) eggs approximately 

36 hours apart to increase the chance 

that one of the eggs will hatch when 

conditions are most favorable. The eggs 

are incubated for approximately 35 days. 

Eggs hatch over the span of a few days, 

typically in April or early May. Both 

parents share the tasks of incubation and 

rearing young. Eagle eggs and young are 

extremely sensitive to cold temperatures, 

so adults must remain on the nest 

constantly. Human disturbance can 

disrupt this constant care, jeopardizing 

nesting success.

Young eagles remain in the nest 10 to 12 

weeks, until July or early August. For 

nearly two months after their first flight 

they will frequently return to the nesting 

site to receive food from their parents.

As exciting as it is to see an eagle, it is even

more thrilling to watch its fishing skill. An

eagle, with its incredible eyesight, can see

a fish surfacing from up to two miles

away, soar over the location, and then

with ease grab its prey using its extremely

strong four-inch talons.

The Cuyahoga Valley eagles are

known to forage between Canal

Visitor Center and Bath Road along

the Cuyahoga River. In winter, they 

are most commonly seen near open 

water. Bald eagles prefer to 

eat fish, but will also eat 

a variety of small mammals, birds, and 

sometimes carrion.

Adult bald eagles in Ohio are usually

non-migratory and remain close to

their nesting area throughout the year.

Immature birds migrate sporadically

from October through March. Once they

are mature enough to breed (after three

to four years), they usually nest within

100 miles of where they were born. This

behavior, and the continued recovery of

the Cuyahoga River valley, suggests a

bright future for bald eagles in CVNP.

Eagle pairs can be observed in the Pinery 

Narrows area north of Station Road 

Bridge Trailhead or in the southern 

end of the park near the Beaver Marsh. 

Nesting eagles are highly sensitive to 

human foot traffic: please watch quietly 

using binoculars or a spotting scope 

from more than 200 yards, obey posted 

trail restrictions, and stay out of closed 

areas. Disturbance distracts eagles from 

sitting on their eggs and can result in 

breeding failure or abandoning the 

area as a future nesting site. You can 

help protect Cuyahoga Valley’s eagles 

by observing in ways that ensure their 

success for years to come. 

Note that all the photographs in this 

bulletin were taken in the Cuyahoga 

Valley, in compliance with rules to 

protect the nesting eagles.

Incubation and Rearing Young

Observing Nesting Eagles With Care

Finding Food and Taking Flight

Courtship and Nesting

EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICATM

www.nps.gov/cuva

www.dayinthevalley.com

©VAUGHN STITT

©LISA ROMANIUK