By Joanne Pannone • Lifetime Sierra Club Member
After 242 years of being part of the Great Seal of the United States, the bald eagle became our official national bird on December 24, 2024, when a bill that Congress had passed with unanimous support was signed into law by former President Joe Biden.
My first encounter with an eagle occurred when I visited Acadia National Park, where they thrive. While hiking under the cover of pines along the coast, I suddenly felt as though someone was patting me on the shoulder. Unfortunately, it was an eagle, pooping while sitting on a branch above me.
According to Conservation Wildlife New Jersey, our state’s bald eagle population represents one of the most inspiring wildlife recoveries in the nation. The eagles were put on the endangered species list because of the use of the pesticide DDT, which made their eggshells so fragile they were crushed under the weight of the parents in the nest.
In the ‘70s and early ‘80s, only one lonely bald eagle nest remained in New Jersey—in Cumberland County—and that nest had failed to produce chicks for several consecutive years.
New Jersey banned DDT in 1968 (it was banned nationally in 1972), and efforts by state biologists and volunteers, who invested a huge number of hours annually, led to the successful re-establishment of this eagle population in New Jersey.
Since then, bald eagle activity has risen from that one active nest to 264 active nests statewide. The state’s Bald Eagle Project, with help from volunteers and the corporate community, works to nurture this rebound and mitigate harm to these birds.
In outings with Sierra Club hike leaders George and Leona Fluck, participants have spotted bald eagles in the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park at Bordentown, at Mercer Lake in West Windsor, and at Veterans Park in Hamilton. They are magnificent birds!
In Cape May, Clay and Pat Sutton have authored some great books on birding and the identification of hawks and eagles. Retired naturalists, they participate in the annual Eagle Festival in Cumberland County, held in early February.
Follow Pat Sutton on Facebook for tips on birding and important information about events and other developments involving birds in New Jersey.