Leave bald eagles alone, birders say
‘Disturbance’ near Toronto’s first nest by conservation crews has some sounding the alarm
Bald eagles nesting in Toronto this year marked a historic first for the city — but local birdwatchers and one MPP say they’re concerned the excitement might not last if more isn’t done to protect them.
Not only have bald eagles never before nested in Toronto throughout its documented history, but the birds spent 50 years listed under Ontario’s Endangered Species Act as being of “special concern,” and were only designated “not at risk” last year.
For birdwatchers and experts alike, this means everyone — including government, the conservation authority and the general public — must do their part not to disturb the eagles.
Birdwatchers, meanwhile, are sounding the alarm about what they describe as concerning activity by Toronto’s conservation authority near the eagles’ nest.
Birder Steve McClellan said that two months after spotting the birds and their nest, he found out that Toronto’s conservation authority was doing work in the area related to a different wildlife population, including cutting down trees. However, he said these management efforts, which are typical, appeared to inadvertently alarm the eagles.
Because the eagles are believed to be incubating eggs in the nest, they are in a particularly vulnerable position, and if startled, could abandon their eggs or fall vulnerable to other predators who could swoop in and eat the eggs, experts and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) have said.
On one occasion, the male eagle “immediately flew back” to the nest, “clearly” startled, while the female popped her head out of the nest, McClellan said.
He noted that he saw the eagles in Toronto last May, and believes they tried, but failed, to nest, and hopes this time they can be successful.
Mark Peck, a birder for more than 50 years and the program councillor for the Toronto Ornithological Club told the Star that the group sent the TRCA a letter last weekend, urging it to pause its activities in the area.
The letter, which was shared with the Star, said that although the TRCA’s measures are important, they “are not necessary during this critical time of breeding.”
“Bald eagles tend to be a nervous species,” Peck said. “What we’d really like is to minimize disturbance as much as possible to give these birds a chance. I think the more disturbance there is, the more likely this nest will be unsuccessful.”
The Star is not naming the measures being taken or the location of the bald eagles, as experts continue to urge the public not to try to find the nest or interact with the birds.
A spokesperson for the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) emphasized to the Star that they are in a “delicate situation,” adding that they are open to reassessing their approach if they find it disturbs the eagles.
“To do this, we’re continuously monitoring eagles’ responses to our activities, and depending on what those responses are, we make adjustments,” said TRCA’s senior manager of restoration and infrastructure, Karen McDonald. “This is a very slow and cautious approach.”
McDonald added that spotters with the TRCA saw the reaction McClellan described, but they consider it to be acceptable.
“What we don’t want to see is for them to leave the nest, especially for any extended length of time. That would be a big concern to us,” she said. “So the fact that one of them popped their head out and another one flew back, I think, is a good response to the activities and not one that we’re concerned about right now.”
She said that the TRCA hopes to habituate the eagles to the conservation authority’s work in the area, and so far, they’ve noticed the eagle’s reactions improve.
One provincial politician is calling on the Ontario government to do more.
NDP MPP Chris Glover told the Star there are two things he’d like to see the provincial government to do: pass a motion that he introduced three years ago for bird-safe windows, and complete an environmental assessment of the plan for a private spa at Ontario Place, as his party has pushed for.
In November, prominent landscape architect Walter Kehm, who designed Trillium and Tommy Thompson parks, walked away from the Ontario Place redevelopment, saying the project threatened a decades-old wildlife habitat in clearing hundreds of trees to make way for a private spa and waterpark.
“There’s been 125 bird species identified at Ontario Place, and some of them are in danger and some of them are at risk,” Glover said, pointing out the area over Ontario Place falls on a bird migration route.
“(The eagles) were almost extinct,” Glover said. “Now that they’re back, this is a really huge opportunity for us in the city to potentially see a bald eagle or bald eagles soaring over our city.”
An environmental assessment of the Ontario Place project was ultimately positive, and found that wetlands will increase. However, the review left out the West Island and part of the East Island, where Live Nation’s new venue will reside.
McClellan said he and a friend were the first in the birding community to notice the eagles’ nest at the end of January, and they wanted to keep the location of the birds a secret until their eggs hatched.
He remains worried that when more people find out about the location, the birds’ attempt at nesting will fail.
“I just want to see the TRCA have a strategy of how they’re going to move forward with managing the area around the nest and ensure that this fantastic news story, the first nesting eagle pair in the city’s history, is successful and viable … for years to come,” he said.