PA's recovery of bald eagles is now so successful, volunteers can no longer keep count

Jalen Hurts may have helped the Philadelphia Eagles return to the Super Bowl, but it has been the admirers of eagles who have helped America's most iconic bird return to Bucks County and the rest of Pennsylvania.

"To me, bald eagles show what our community can do when we're serious about recovering a species," said Patti Barber, Pennsylvania Game Commission endangered species biologist.

Pennsylvania now is home to over 300 eagles nests, according to the game commission website, an astonishing comeback from the mere three nests in the state just 40 years ago.

"When the idea of recovering these birds got started, no one envisioned having eagles back as a relatively common and important component of the ecosystem," Barber said. "We were just hoping to have a few birds to see."

The recovery has become so strong that bald eagles were taken off Pennsylvania's endangered species list in 2014, and volunteers who once kept count can no longer keep track of the state's official numbers.

"There's now more eagles to keep track of than there are people to keep track of them," Barber said.

How many eagles are in Bucks County?

Bucks County probably has "10 nests, give or take," according to Barber, but she cautioned against using a single county's numbers as a reference for considering the well-being of local eagle populations.

"For Bucks County, if they move across the river, they'll be in New Jersey and your numbers go down but the birds really just moved a few feet across the river," Barber said. "So the numbers are a little tough."

Eagle populations are very spread out, and Barber said the Northeastern U.S., or even the entire East Coast, could be considered one population. But she added that Bucks County is gifted with numerous healthy waterways that can host numerous eagles if the environment is treated well.

"The things you do locally matter to the wildlife that persists, so if folks in Bucks County are excited about eagles, you know, keep the water clean," Barber said.

More: The flight of raptors in southeastern Pennsylvania studied by visitors, leading experts

Why are bald eagles special?

Eagles are especially important animals in the Northeastern U.S. because, barring human beings, they are at the top of the food chain in the area.

"All animals, when young, are at risk from other predator species, but once eagles are adults, they don't have another predator except for human beings," said Mercer County Wildlife Center director Diane Nickerson.

Eagles hunt with their eyesight, which is so good, your favorite Marvel superhero would be jealous of its abilities.

Nickerson said that eagles have 10 times better eyesight than humans, which might seem unbelievable at first considering that humans already have better vision than most animals.

But here's how Nickerson explained what an eagle's eye really can do: "Pretend that you're sitting on a goalpost at the end of a football field. And you take your favorite book, and put it on the goalposts at the other end of the football field. If you had eyesight that was 10 times better, you could read the book."

Unfortunately for eagles and other wildlife, however, many human-made threats like cars can be very dangerous. When eagles, who can live for over 30 years, die prematurely, it's almost always caused by humans.

"They don't recognize our human world, the things that we consider everyday: the car, the truck, the bus, the plain," Nickerson said. "They haven't evolved well enough to recognize these things as predators."

In May, an eagle was rescued in Solebury when passersby found him in distress on the ground. The bird, who lived with his mate and their eaglet on a private property in the township, was suffering from lead poisoning. After intensive care, he made a full recovery and was released in mid-June, according to Aark Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in Chalfont, which aided in his care.

Eagles are well-known scavengers, according to Nickerson, but eating an animal carcass with high levels of lead can be lethal for a them.

"The lead can't move through their digestive track," Aark's executive director Leah Stallings said. "In most cases of lead poisoning, you're looking at a bird that's really droopy, and they start to deteriorate really quickly."

Stallings said the center typically receives 1-2 calls a year about eagles from Bucks County who need special care, and lead poisoning is the most common culprit.

"It's going to take time to improve on the issue, but every hunter who switches to non-lead ammunition is making a difference," Stallings said.

More: What poisoned an American bald eagle in Bucks County?

Where are the best places to view bald eagles in Bucks County and the region?

You can find numerous current and former nesting locations within Bucks County alone on the game commission's website, including sighting in Core Creek Park and at Lake Nockamixon.

But the three most ideal viewing locations in southeastern Pennsylvania are the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, just outside of Philadelphia near the airport; the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lebanon and Lancaster counties, and Conejohola Flats on the Lower Susquehanna River, also in Lancaster County.

At these locations, you will have visitor's centers and scores of naturalists-by-hobby on site who can help guide your quest.

Keep in mind, though, that if you take the time to visit an eagle's nest near you, it's important to ensure that your presence does not hurt or disturb the eagles.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission's guidelines to avoid eagle disturbances include keeping at least 1,000 feet from an active nest, respecting restricted zones and paying careful attention to the eagle in case you are agitating it.

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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bald eagle recovery continues in PA, Bucks County, but concerns remain