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Bald Eagle Population Expands At Channel Islands National Park

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By NPT Staff - July 30th, 2018
Bald eagle in flight at Channel Islands National Park/NPS

Bald eagles are rebounding at Channel Islands National Park with productive nesting season/NPS HO

The bald eagle breeding season this year at Channel Islands National Park off the California coast has been the most productive since the restoration efforts began in 1980. A record 20 breeding pairs successfully reared 19 bald eagle chicks across five Channel Islands.

“This has been the best breeding season since I began working on the bald eagle restoration project over 21 years ago. The number of breeding pairs has increased from only three in 1997 to 20 this year,” said Dr. Peter Sharpe with the Institute for Wildlife Studies. “On Santa Cruz Island we had two nests that each produced three chicks, something that is not commonly seen on the Channel Islands.”

The overall tally of fledged chicks includes 11 from six nests on Santa Cruz Island, two from one nest on Santa Rosa Island, five from four nests on Santa Catalina Island, and one on San Clemente Island. New nest sites were discovered on Santa Rosa Island at East Point and on Santa Cruz Island at Yellowbanks.

Recent sightings of bald eagles from the Channel Islands have increased throughout California with birds seen in Orange, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Bernardino Counties and were spotted as far north as Washington and British Columbia. 

Over two million eagle enthusiasts watched the bald eagles up close via live webcams provided by Explore Annenberg and the Institute for Wildlife Studies on Santa Catalina and Santa Cruz Island this year. To view the bald eagle webcams visit explore.org or iws.org.

Bald eagles disappeared from the Channel Islands in the 1960s due to the effects of DDT and human disturbance. Today, there are about 60 resident bald eagles on the Channel Islands.

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