A young pair of Bald Eagles has been spotted in New York City! Despite the high rents, lack of green space and bad stroller traffic on the narrow sidewalks the enterprising couple have taken up residence on the South Shore of Staten Island.
The lovebirds appear to be incubating eggs, making their nest the very first New York City Bald Eagle nest reported in 100 years, New York City Audubon announced yesterday. Locals have named the male Vito and are expecting hatchlings within the next month – the egg incubation period for the birds is between 34 and 36 days.
Nobody is quite sure how many eggs are in the nest, given its height and difficult to access location.
This marks the second pair of Bald Eagles spotted in the area this year. A tugboat captain spotted another pair on a little New York Harbor island off the coast. The young pair was observed shuttling nest material to the top of an unused dock. The birds hung around the island for a few weeks but eventually left the area. They were likely subadult Bald Eagles “playing house,” as is customary for young birds.
“We’re pretty excited that Bald Eagles are making New York City home.” the society said. “The presence of these eagles in such a densely populated human environment means two very encouraging things: the local ecosystem is a lot less polluted than it used to be, and the eagle population is getting large enough that some birds are actually getting crowded out of more remote habitats. That’s a big step for a species that appeared to be heading for extinction just a few decades ago.”
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