[/av_textblock] [av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” custom_class=”] By Rob Bailey
silive.com
April 16, 2015
Soaring in the south shore sky, a Bald Eagle returns to make a nest. (Staten Island Advance / Jan Somma-Hammel)
Soaring in the south shore sky, a Bald Eagle returns to make a nest.
(Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — New York City Audubon confirmed Thursday that a pair of Bald Eagles are nesting on the South Shore of Staten Island, the first such touchdown in the city in 100 years.
“The presence of breeding Bald Eagles in NYC is a testament to the success of the environmental conservation movement in cleaning up New York’s waterways and wild habitats, and is cause to celebrate for all New Yorkers,” said Tod Winston, communications manager and research assistant for the NYC Audubon.
The female appears to be incubating eggs, according to borough birders, who have nicknamed the male bird ‘Vito.’
Only one pair of eagles was known to nest in all of New York state in 1960, compared to 173 pairs counted in 2010 — and the population is growing, experts say. The eagles’ decision to stay and breed here is a reminder that when ecosystems are healthy, wildlife returns.
The Audubon “is thrilled that America’s iconic national bird is staying to nest within the five boroughs, for the first time in as much as a century,” Winston added. “Bald eagles are back — for now — and New Yorkers should celebrate, cherish and continue to protect them.”
Following an unusual winter during which baldies were spotted in all five boroughs, a pair of eagles was reported to be nest-building off of the North Shore in early February. This pair did not stay to breed, but a second pair on the South Shore has now “stuck the landing.”
After building a “practice nest” at the site in 2014, the birds returned this spring to a New York state Department of Environmental Conservation property on Staten Island’s South Shore. (The exact site is undisclosed to protect the birds from disturbance.)
A warning from the NYS DEC’s Bald Eagle Program reps: “If you see someone harassing or injuring an eagle, or if you spot destruction of eagle habitat or find an injured or dead eagle, report it at once to DEC’s Wildlife Diversity Unit at 518-402-8920.”
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