Bald eagles require large trees or cliffs near water with abundant fish for nesting. They winter along oceans, rivers, lakes, or in areas where carrion is present. The bald eagle is found throughout North America. In Oklahoma, wintering bald eagles can be seen near large rivers or reservoirs across the state. Wintering eagles are most common in the state between December and March.
Historical records indicate that bald eagles once nested in Oklahoma.
However, only four nests have been active in the last 10 years - one at the Robert S. Kerr Reservoir in Haskell County, one on the McAlester Ammunition Depot in Pittsburg County, one at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Sequoyah County, and one in Noble County. Bald eagles have declined in numbers due to pesticide-induced reproductive failure, loss of riparian habitat, and human disturbances, such as shooting, poisoning, or trapping. Recovery needs for the bald eagle population include continued protection and management of their habitat, monitoring eagle populations, and re-establishing breeding populations throughout their historic range. Nationwide, bald eagle populations have been slowly increasing because of conservation programs. The bald eagle was downlisted from endangered to threatened in July 1995.