Bald Eagles Return to Cuyahoga Valley

An adult bald eagle flies with grassy nesting material in its talons.

NPS/Jim Kaftan

Why Are Eagles Here?

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.

How Many Eaglets Hatched at Pinery Narrows?

Beginning In 2006, bald eagles built a nest in the Pinery Narrows area in Brecksville, the first recorded in the valley in modern times. That nest was unsuccessful, but the breeding eagles returned and nested the following years with these results:

Year	Nesting Results	Cumulative Total: Number of Eaglets Fledged
2007	One eaglet successfully hatched and fledged.	1
2008	One eaglet successfully hatched and fledged.	2
2009	A late winter storm in February caused the nest to fail.	-
2010	Two eaglets successfully hatched and fledged.	4
2011	A storm in early March blew down the entire nest tree; another nest was started but no eggs hatched.	-
2012	One eaglet successfully hatched and fledged.	5
2013	Two eaglets successfully hatched and fledged.	7
2014	Two eaglets successfully hatched and fledged.	9
2015	The nest failed for unknown reasons.	-
2016	Three eaglets successfully hatched and fledged.	12
2017	Two eaglets successfully hatched and fledged.	14
2018	One eaglet successfully hatched and fledged.	15
2019	One eaglet successfully hatched and fledged.	16
2020	One eaglet successfully hatched and fledged.	17
2021	The nest failed for unknown reasons.	-
2022	The nest failed, maybe due to increased competition between eagles.	-
2023	Two eaglets successfully hatched and fledged.	19

An immature bald eagle - the first known to have fledged within the park - pictured in 2007.

© Vaughn Stitt

Continued Protection

The US Fish and Wildlife Service removed bald eagles from the list of Threatened and Endangered Species on August 9, 2007. In an amazing coincidence, this was about a month after the Cuyahoga Valley's first eaglet fledged. These birds are still protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Both federal laws prohibit taking, killing, selling, or otherwise harming eagles, their nests, or eggs.

Visit our Bald Eagles page to learn more.