Bald eagles choose The Woodlands to raise family

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- The eagle has landed. Bald eagles of The Woodlands have indeed landed and multiplied. Humans aren’t the only species who have chosen to raise a family here in our beautiful community.

If you are near Hughes Landing and happen to notice crowds looking up into the trees, the attraction just may be the bald eagle family currently raising two eaglets. The eagles have made The Woodlands their home for years. According to Save The Woodlands Eagles, “Since 2000, eagles in The Woodlands have fledged 30 plus eaglets. A second nest has been in existence for five plus years now. This year there were a total of four eaglets hatched in the two sites here in The Woodlands. There is{sic} rumors of a third and possibly fourth site this year.”

Randy Scott, a local birding enthusiast, has been keeping an eye on the eagles in our area for about 16 years. He’s observed the adult birds build and rebuild their nests. This bald eagle pair chose their home wisely with close proximity to food sources needed for feeding their young. “These two birds are very familiar with Lake Woodlands. They know how to fish it and how to hunt in the area,” Scott said.

According to Scott, bird watchers spotted the eggs in the nest last year. “They are our Christmas eaglets,” Scott said, stating the two eaglets were born around Christmas 2018.

Recently some in the community became concerned when they saw one of the eaglets out of the nest. Jim Stinebaugh, resident agent in charge of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, was called to investigate the bird’s welfare. “We just went over to check on things and make sure that the eagle wasn’t in any kind of danger. Once we put eyes on it and saw that it was doing okay, we backed off and let nature run its course,” Stinebaugh said. “When I personally went to look at it, it was strong enough to run away from me. The next day it was seen back in the treetops, so the only way it got there was under its own power.”

The process of finding their wings results in young birds ending up on the ground at times. “Often birds on the ground are fine. They’re just learning to fly. And sometimes people will mistake that for them being in distress, pick them up, and take them to a rehabber. Typically, if the baby is fully feathered out, the best thing to do is just leave it alone,” Stinebaugh stated.

Eagles are protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. This federal statute prohibits the harming and harassing of both bald and golden eagles. Humans, in their effort to get close to animals, often end up causing unintentional harm. Stinebaugh stated the bald eagles living in The Woodlands must not be too bothered by regular human activity since they chose to nest here. The concern is when humans cross the line from considerate onlookers to harassment. Observing the birds from a distance should be fine “so long as the spectators are respectful and don’t do anything to bother the birds: for instance, shining a light up on them or anything of that nature,” Stinebaugh said.

Photos of the magnificent birds have been taken by bird-loving residents through the years. If you keep your eyes open, you, too, may spot this feathered family living side by side with us.