Bald eagle makes its nest at Boeing plant in Ridley
RIDLEY TOWNSHIP » The Chinooks and Osprey have new partners in the skies over Boeing’s Ridley plant, as an American Bald Eagle has taken up residence on the property.
“This past fall and winter, a pair of bald eagles were seen in the area. In February, the team started seeing them on a daily basis,” Andrew Africk, communications spokesman at Boeing Vertical Lift, said.
Adrick said maintenance teams saw an osprey attempt to build the nest on a light pole a number of years ago but were unsuccessful. The osprey were unable to complete the nest because of a large gap between the light support brackets. Shortly thereafter, a facilities crew installed a platform in the light tower as part of some regular maintenance work, with the hopes of making it easier for the osprey to build a nest; however it was not used until last year when the eagles appeared.
The eagles at Boeing are part of a larger trend. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that American bald eagle numbers have quadrupled since 2009 with more than 316,700 birds and 71,400 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states during the 2019 breeding season, per the report.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, in her first public appearance since being sworn in last week, hailed the eagle’s recovery and noted that the majestic, white-headed bird has always been considered sacred to Native American tribes and the United States generally.
“The strong return of this treasured bird reminds us of our nation’s shared resilience and the importance of being responsible stewards of our lands and waters that bind us together, said Haaland, the first NativeAmerican cabinet secretary.
Just up river from Boeing at the John Heinz Wildlife Preserve, there has been an active eagle nest for about 10 years, according to Garrett White, biological science technician at Heinz.
“An eagle offspring will travel up to 500 miles away from where it was born in search of habitat and territory so it’s not out of the question that it’s one of our offspring,” White said. “There’s probably two in there. He will build the nest for her and they will return to that nest year after year and continue building it up.”
It takes five years for an eagle to reach sexual maturity, when they then pair off and build their own nests.
White said the eagles at Heinz began to sit on the nest in early to mid-February this year and he just recently saw that the female appears to be feeding a number of hatchlings. Eagles average two eggs per nest, then typically the older of the two will survive.
The eagles will range 1,500 to 1,700 acres on available resources with the Delaware River being a good food source.
A popular spot to see bald eagles in the region is the Susquehanna River in Harford County, Maryland, just south of Conowingo Hydroelectric Power Station where multiple eagles can be seen looking for fish sent through the turbines of the dam. It has become a popular spot to photograph the birds.
Ironically, osprey and eagles can be competitive because they both rely mainly on fish as a primary food source. Eagles will also scavenge and steal for food as necessary.
White reminds residents they can look at eagles from afar, but should not disturb the nest - in fact, it is illegal.
“During nesting season (which runs December into July), don’t go near a nest - 500 feet of an active eagle’s nest” White said. “Observe from a distance, take pictures and kind of watch this majestic bird fly around and reproduce.”