Since hatching last March, all the eaglets in the Will County Forest Preserves have left their nests and are now soaring in the sky, according to Joel Craig, a volunteer with the Forest Preserve District of Will County.
Eight eaglets hatched in Will County Forest Preserves, not seven
Earlier this year, the Forest Preserve District of Will County announced that seven eaglets had hatched across four nests. However, Craig confirmed in a phone call on Dec. 17 that two eaglets were born in each nest located in Plainfield, Shorewood, Romeoville, and Lockport.
“We had some conflicting reports on the one nest that was in Romeoville, but I think we did get confirmation that it actually produced two as well. So, we had eight offspring in the four nests,” said Craig.
This was the first time the county had four active nests. Craig attributed the increase in eagle activity in Will County to clean river systems with a good fish supply.
The hatch-year eagles take flight
Craig said all eight hatch-year eagles fledged during the summer, meaning they had flown away from their nests. This typically happens about three months after hatching.
Once fledged, they stay with their parents for about another three months to develop their flight and hunting skills.
When asked about the current status of the juvenile eagles, Craig said he lost track of them around September.
“After those three months, they tend to leave the adults and go off on their own. Once that happens, we don’t always see them,” said Craig.
Though they are out of sight, he said they’re in their first-year plumage and are primarily brown at their current ages of eight to nine months old.
“So these guys will go through their first molt, which is when they shed feathers. They’ll do that next summer. When they molt their feathers, they’ll go through their first color transition phase, and then they’ll go into their second year and you’ll start to see this gradual appearance of some white feathers into their plumage,” said Craig.
Every year, more feathers will become white until they reach definitive plumage with a white head and yellow beak around year five.
“You can pick them out once you know what each year’s transition looks like. It’s pretty interesting,” said Craig.
Where are the juvenile eagles now?
Craig said the eagles are likely around large rivers or dams, as eagles tend to congregate around open water with a good supply of fish during winter.
“They’re just going to be hanging around, perched in trees. They’ll fly off, catch fish, and go back and eat it. You would probably see in-air battles between eagles trying to steal fish from each other. So it can be pretty exciting as well,” said Craig.
Though they are currently gone, the juvenile eagles might return to the Will County Forest Preserves during nesting season between January and March.
“What we’ve learned from other places that have been able to put GPS trackers on eaglets is that when nesting season approaches, [juveniles] do tend to return to the areas where they were hatched,” said Craig. “But the [adult] males will chase them away to protect their territory and force them to go.”
Craid added that the juveniles then tend to drift north and roam around the United States and Canada.
“Then late into the fourth year, right before they start transitioning into their fifth-year plumage, they will start looking for a mate and then establish their own territory,” said Craig.
Will there be new nests in Will County Forest Preserves?
Craig confirmed that no new eagle nests have been found in Will County Forest Preserves since April. But if any new nests appear, they will likely come in the next few months.
He advised that if you see any eagle nests, you should admire them from at least a football field away, as getting too close could stress the eagles and potentially cause them to abandon their nests.
Bald eagles and their nests are federally protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Upcoming Eagle Watch event
The Forest Preserve District of Will County will host an Eagle Watch event on Saturday, Jan. 11, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, 25055 S Walnut Ln., Channahon.
The event will feature guided hikes, live bird presentations, Talon Talks, family crafts, an Eagle Eye Scavenger Hunt, and food from Lil’ Deb’s Mobile Eats.
This event is free and open for all to enjoy. The full schedule can be found on the Forest Preserve District of Will County website.
Photo courtesy: Michele Olson
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