Cecil Black (of Ripley) began observing eagles on BCRWA property in 2005 as a volunteer monitor for the Ohio Division of Wildlife

 

Eagles start their incubation period in mid-February and the eaglets are hatched in approximately 35 days

 

Both parents share incubation duties

 

Eagles lay 1-3 eggs per year

 

Newborn chicks will have white down feathers

 

Eaglets coloring will change to gray at 2-3 weeks

 

Eaglets begin "flopping" their wings at 3-4 weeks

 

Young eagles will fledge the nest at 12-14 weeks

 

The life span for an eagle is approximately 30 years

 

Eagles can start breeding at 3-4 years of age

 

Immature eagles get their white head and tail at 5-6 years of age and at this time are considered mature

 

Eagles at BCRWA typically do not migrate due to the abundance of food and the river not freezing

 

Eagles prefer fish but will eat the following: birds, moles, squirrels, rabbits, soft shelled turtles, snakes, carrion and on occasion smaller groundhogs

 

The wingspan of a mature eagle is 6 to 7 feet

 

Immature eagles will not return to their birth nest

 

The total number of eagles fledged from the BCRWA nesting area is 16 starting in 2005