Rare golden eagle nest found in Southern California — for the first time in 30 years
Scientists recently discovered a golden eagle nest tucked into the western Santa Monica Mountains for the first time in decades. And along with the nest: a pair of chicks.
The last time a golden eagle nest was found in the mountains was in the late 1980s, according to a news release from the National Park Service.
The 12-week-old chicks, a male and a female, were found a few weeks ago. A consultant who was conducting bird surveys on private land in the area identified the chicks and told National Park Service biologists, the release said.
Biologists from the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey and Bloom Biological Inc. confirmed the nest, which was located in a large cave, and gave each chick two bands — one colored and one numbered — which will help scientists keep track of them.
The chicks recently fledged, but will continue to rely on their parents until they learn how to hunt successfully on their own, likely around late fall, the National Park Service said.
Golden eagles typically eat rabbits and squirrels, but also prey on anything from small birds to mule deer fawns, coyote pups and carrion, the National Park Service said.
In this particular nest, scientists found seven gull wings in the nest, indicating that this family ate western gulls, according to the National Park Service.
The golden eagle, a cousin of the bald eagle, is a protected species in the state of California and the United States. It’s one of the largest birds in North America.
Golden eagles are found throughout North America but are more common in the western part of the continent, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Most golden eagles in California stay in the state year-round, but some do migrate into California during the winter, the agency said.
The National Park Service said biologists believe the species population may be declining in the United States, especially in California.
“Humans are the greatest threat to golden eagles,” said Katy Delaney, an ecologist with Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park Service, in the release. She noted that eagles can die from eating poisoned prey, lead poisoning, collisions with with turbines and electrocution on power lines.
“In the past, they were trapped and shot throughout their range and today, they are vulnerable to habitat loss,” Delaney said.
The birds have historically nested in the Santa Monica Mountains, but nests haven’t been spotted there since the 1980s. No active golden eagle nests were discovered during a survey of the mountains in the 2000s, the National Park Service said.
“We haven’t seen them in so many years, though they could have been around and staying away from people,” Delaney said in the release, noting that the area has been through wildfires and drought in recent years. “Nonetheless, this is a good thing for our mountains. We not only have mountain lions here, but we have golden eagles, too.”
This story was originally published June 27, 2019 at 10:35 AM with the headline "Rare golden eagle nest found in Southern California — for the first time in 30 years."
