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- Bald eagle hatchlings spotted in a Chicago park may be the city’s first for more than a century (apnews.com)
Bald Eagles Successfully Hatch in Chicago for First Time in Over a Century
CHICAGO – In a remarkable sign of nature’s resilience, two bald eagle hatchlings have been spotted in a nest within a Chicago park, marking what city officials believe to be the first successful wild breeding of the iconic raptors in the Windy City in more than 100 years.
The Chicago Park District revealed last week that bird-watchers had noticed nesting activity beginning in February at Park 597, located along the Calumet River on the city’s Southeast Side. The first eaglet was seen on April 28, followed by confirmation of a second on May 7. According to spokesperson Irene Tostado, the eaglets are estimated to be two to three weeks old.
Pat Pearson and her husband Steve were among the first to discover the newborn eaglet. “We started looking around, and lo and behold, this little fuzzy head sticks up with a big beak and we were just ecstatic,” Steve Pearson recalled.
“Patty actually broke into tears. I started crying.
It was really very touching – the wonder and awe of seeing these eagles right here in Chicago with a baby. It was really overwhelming.”
Bald eagle populations suffered dramatic declines in the latter half of the 20th century due to habitat loss and contamination of their food sources by insecticides. However, over the past 40 years, the species has staged a remarkable recovery. The bald eagle, the national bird of the United States, was officially removed from the federal endangered species list in 2007.
While bald eagles are not uncommon in the Chicago region – with a dozen spotted in the restored wetlands of Big Marsh Park in a single day in 2018 – Stephen Bell, who manages Park 597, noted that there are no records of successful eaglet hatchings in Chicago for more than a century.
Park 597 was previously the site of a city water treatment plant until the park district took stewardship of the land in 2019, embarking on habitat restoration efforts. Improvements to soil quality, vegetation, and the habitat for amphibians and reptiles have attracted a range of wildlife, including muskrats, mice, deer, and now bald eagles.
“Give Mother Nature a chance and you’d be surprised what she can do with just a little bit of help from the park district and the city of Chicago,” Pat Pearson said. “Neither organization could have done it alone, but together, it’s amazing what can happen to land that once seemed beyond redemption.”
The success at Park 597 offers an inspiring example of urban wildlife conservation and the possibilities for natural renewal even in heavily developed areas.