Bald Eagle Making Comeback in New Jersey

Once on the verge of extinction in New Jersey, the bald eagle population continued its comeback last year with 201 born in the state and 23 new pairs found, according to the Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s annual report.

The foundation estimates the number of births by monitoring 156 known nest sites. Of those nests, 115 produced 201 baby eagles. They also paid particular attention to two baby bald eagles it has fitted with GPS devices in an effort to learn more about their movements.

One, a male named Nacote, has flown more than 1,000 miles since the backpack-like device was attached in May when he was about eight weeks old. He flew to Quebec in the summer and has made stops at a lake in Pennsylvania and at Six Flags Great Adventure during his travels.

The other eagle, a female named Millville, journeyed to the Chesapeake Bay over the summer before being found dead along a Delaware road in November.

The use of a pesticide had reduced the state’s population of bald eagle pairs to one in 1970. It grew slowly after use of the pesticide was banned.

This article appeared in print on page 5 of the January 20th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.