OHIO, USA — They were once on the brink of extinction, but now the bald eagle population is thriving in Ohio.
WTOL 11 spoke with a local man who played a key role in the turnaround.
Ohio citizens were asked in February and March to report any known bald eagle nests to help the Ohio Department of Natural Resources track the recovery of the formerly endangered species.
The results are in, with 707 bald eagle nests confirmed in 85 Ohio counties; a 151% increase from the last survey in 2012. It's also considered a drastic jump from only having four nests in Ohio in the late 1970's.
On May 8, the Ottawa Nation Wildlife Refuge said there are at least 12 chicks in known bald eagle nests around the area.
"Now, we've got them nesting in backyards, nesting in artificial structures which bald eagles are very slow to adapt to. So, they've adapted, they're learning to live with us," said Mark Shieldcastle with the Black Swamp Bird Observatory.
Nest locations have been verified in 85 of the state's 88 counties, with seven out of the top ten counties lying in northwest Ohio.
Mark Shieldcastle lead the ODNR bald eagle recovery initiative for decades and is blown away by how well the state and federal protections have worked in bringing our national symbol back from the brink.
"It shows Americans care about this bird as well. And the fact that we can make a difference if we put our minds to it. And there are more success stories out there that we will continue to make if we continue to work that way," said Shieldcastle.
Mark believes that there are even more bald eagle nests unconfirmed throughout the state of Ohio, especially in the more hilly region in the southeast.
You can see a more detailed breakdown of where the confirmed bald eagle nests are in Ohio by clicking here.