LAKE OCONEE — America’s national bird, the bald eagle, has nesting sites around both Lakes Oconee and Sinclair. Sightings that were once improbable are regularly occurring around both lakes at the present time.

The bald eagle’s scientific name Haliaeetus leucocephalus means sea (halo) eagle (aeetos) with a white (leukos) head. The bald eagle is found throughout North America and about half of the world’s 70,000 bald eagles live in Alaska.

The reason for the large numbers of bald eagles in Alaska is the presence of salmon. Fish is a very important food source for the bald eagle. Wherever you find bald eagles they will almost always be around a body of water that contains fish. That explains the frequent sightings of both eagles and their nests around area lakes.

There are two subspecies of bald eagles. The two subspecies are northern and southern and the southern bald eagle is found along the Gulf States from Texas to Florida below the 40 degrees north latitude which would include all of Georgia.

However, studies have found that the northern species fly south to Mexico and the southern species fly north to Canada so the distinction has recently been dropped from most literature. The only significant difference between the two subspecies is that the northern bald eagle is larger.

Bald eagles were declared an endangered species in 1967 in 43 of the lower states. On June 28, 2007 the Interior Department took the American bald eagle off the endangered species list. However, the bald eagle is still protected by the Bald Eagle Protection Act which forbids the taking, transport, sale, barter, trade, import and export, and possession of bald eagles. That includes the possession of eagle feathers, eggs nests or body parts.

When American settlers first arrived in what is now the United States, the bald eagle was very common throughout what is now the United States. Competition with settlers for food, the killing of eagles in Alaska to supposedly protect the salmon population and the use of DDT poison all contributed to the decline in eagle populations.

Only a few species of wildlife have recovered so much that they could be removed from the endangered species list. The American bald eagle is among those few species that have recovered and today they can once again be found from Alaska to Florida.

In Georgia nearly a third of Georgia’s 159 counties had nesting bald eagles in 2010. This past January, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GDNR) counted 135 nesting territories with 118 successful nests and 187 fledglings in Georgia.

Bald eagles are flourishing in Georgia with coastal counties accounting for 50 of the 118 nests that were found. I personally know that eagles are nesting on both Lakes Oconee and Sinclair and you can assist the GDNR by reporting (478) 994-1438 any nesting sites that you may observe while out on the lakes.

I have been observing bald eagles in the area on Lake Sinclair where I live for the last several years. I have had many sightings around Optimist Island and the Dennis Station boat ramp. Last year, I had a bald eagle land in a pine tree not 100 feet from where I was sitting on the deck, but unfortunately I did not have my camera.

They are truly a fascinating bird to see up close. Unfortunately their nests are usually in very tall pine trees making observance of the nest very difficult. Several sightings of bald eagles have been made in Rooty Creek on Lake Sinclair this year.

Frank Barbato who lives on Rooty Creek sent me some beautiful photos of a bald eagle that they recently saw in Rooty Creek. Barbato’s brother-in-law just happened to have his camera and took some fantastic photographs of the bald eagle. Barbato indicated they had been observing bald eagles in Rooty Creek for the last few years and thought a pair might be nesting nearby.

Also don’t forget the wildlife conservation license plates. One features the bald eagle and the other the ruby-throated hummingbird. These plates costs $25 and help the Nongame Conservation Section of the GDNR.

The Nongame Conservation Section receives no state money for conserving Georgia’s native wildlife that is not legally hunted.

See you next week.