Bald eagles featured on Ohio Wildlife stamp

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A photo of a bald

eagle and its eaglet is featured on the 13th annual Ohio Wildlife Legacy

Stamp, on sale now at wildohio.gov and the Huntfish OH

mobile application, according to the

Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

Adult bald eagles are easily recognizable by their 6-foot wingspan and white head and tail. Immature eagles have mostly brown plumage and develop the characteristic white plumage after about five years. These majestic birds thrive where they can find clean water and

abundant habitat. That includes Ohio’s rivers, lakes, and wetlands where they feed on fish and carrion.

The winning eagle photo for the Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp Photo Contest was submitted by Jennifer Beck, of Lyndhurst in Cuyahoga County. Her photo was judged

based on originality, technical excellence, composition, and overall impact. The Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp can be purchased online through Ohio’s Wildlife Licensing System, at any location that sells hunting and fishing licenses, and the Huntfish OH app. A mail-in form is also available at wildohio.gov.

The bald eagle represents a remarkable success story in endangered species recovery. In 1979, Ohio had just four breeding pairs. America’s national symbol was once on the verge of

extinction but can now be found in each of Ohio’s 88 counties and across most of the nation. Over the last few decades, conservation efforts have restored bald

eagles to healthy population numbers. The bird was removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species in 2007, and from Ohio’s list in 2012.

A 2021 nest survey estimated 806 bald eagle nests in the Buckeye State. This is an estimated increase of 14% from the 707

bald eagle nests documented in Ohio from the 2020 citizen science survey coordinated by the Division of Wildlife. Bald eagle nesting success was at an estimated rate of 82% in the spring of 2021, and the number of young per nest was 1.6, well above the number of 1 per nest needed to sustain the population.

Fourteen dollars of every $15 Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp sold are invested in the state’s Wildlife Diversity Fund. This fund supports habitat restoration, wildlife and habitat research projects, free wildlife educational materials, and efforts to restore and conserve endangered and threatened species such as the lake sturgeon, Karner blue butterfly, Indiana

bat, and eastern hellbender. The fund ensures that important species like the bald eagle have the habitat, resources, and protection

necessary to succeed in Ohio’s diverse ecosystems.

Ohio residents can anticipate entering the 14th annual Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp Photo Contest in August, with the winner being featured on the 2023 Legacy Stamp.