Pair of bald eagles spotted nesting in Brooklyn sparks excitement in borough
NEW YORK -- The American bald eagle seems to like New York City and lately loves Brooklyn.
Recent sightings are sparking excitement, and a breeding pair putting down roots in the borough is a big deal.
Perched and checking out the neighborhood of West Midwood on Tuesday morning was our national bird. Anthony Finkel caught it on camera while out for a walk with his dog.
"I stopped in my tracks and I looked up, and I said, oh my god, that's a bald eagle," he said. "It was ginormous."
Bigger than his dog Duke, says Finkel. He shares spotting it felt like an omen.
"Today was going to be a good day and that things were going to get better in this country," he said.
Spotting bald eagles in Brooklyn not unusual in the past couple of weeks. Prospect Park has been a hot spot for snapping photos of one perched tree-top or taking flight in hopes of catching the next meal – a gull.
"The eagles all over the park. They sitting on the top of the trees. They so cute, so smart," Ocean Parkway resident Natalya Kez said. "Yellow nose, beautiful ... and I'm feeding them. When I catch the fish and I saw the eagle, I put the fish on the tree and they take it."
David Barrett, creator and manager of Brooklyn Bird Alert on Twitter, says spotting bald eagles in flight over New York City parks is relatively common.
"It's uncommon and actually quite unusual to see a bald eagle land in a tree and also hunt in the park," he said.
Perhaps not for much longer; the population continues to grow by about 10% a year in New York state.
In the '60s and '70s, the bald eagle faced extinction.
"New York state was down to one breeding pair," Barrett said.
Today, more than 400 pairs call the Empire State home.
One of the pairs is moving into Brooklyn, onto Ruffle Bar Island in Jamaica Bay. The move makes history.
"It's an incredible thing. As far as we know, bald eagles have not nested before in Brooklyn. If they did, it was more than 100 years ago," Barrett said.
A birder caught them on camera building their nest piece by piece. It could soon house eaglet eggs, which could lead to more bald eagles perched on tree-tops and rooftops in Brooklyn.
"How majestic that bird is. It really was awe-inspiring," Finkel said.
Eagles typically mate for life and live in the wild for 20-30 years.