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According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, in 1976, there was only one pair of bald eagles nesting in New York. Conservation efforts have increased that number to more than 300 pairs that were reported this year.
Those hopeful of spotting a bald eagle have been instructed by the NYSDEC to “scan the tree-tops for eagles perched there or watch the sky. Eagles like heavily wooded areas near water with tall trees for nesting and perching. They eat a lot of fish so check ice flows or river islands for eagles enjoying a meal. In the winter, look for areas of open water often found near power plant discharges or where tributaries enter a river.”
The NYSDEC said that several Hudson Valley locales are among the top places to see bald eagles, including George’s Island Park in Montrose, Charles Point, China Pier and Riverfront Park in Peekskill, Iona Island State Park in Tomkins Cove, the north dock at Constitution Island in West Point and the Margaret Lewis Norrie Point State Park in Dutchess County.
In an editorial for Syracuse.com, Basil Seggos, a commissioner for the NYSDEC said that, “today, thanks to New York’s nation-leading environmental policies, bald eagles are thriving in historic numbers across the state, boasting a record-breaking estimated 323 breeding pairs, since DEC launched the nation’s first bald eagle restoration effort in 1976. In fact, efforts have been so successful that the bald eagle has been removed from the federal endangered species list.”
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