Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Contact 90.5 WESA with a story idea or news tip: news@wesa.fm

PA Has More Bald Eagles Than Commission Can Count

Gene J. Puskar
/
AP

The Pennsylvania Game Commission says there are too many bald eagle nests for the agency to count on its own and it needs the public's help.

The commission used to release bald eagle numbers annually on the Fourth of July back when the birds were threatened. But bald eagles have made a comeback, from three nesting pairs in 1983 to more than 300 nesting pairs now around the state.

Sean Murphy, an ornithologist with the commission, tells the Tribune Review that the boom makes it difficult for the agency alone to track them.

The public can monitor and report bald eagle nests to the commission using an online survey tool.

The commission says the bald eagle's rebound is directly related to environmental improvements. Eagles depend on good water, riparian forest quality and fish availability.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.