As you may have noticed, for the last couple of weeks, NBC Palm Springs, along with the rest of the nation, has been keeping a close eye on a pair of eagles who are currently brooding up in Big Bear. The question of the hour: when will the two eggs hatch?! Dr. James Danoff-Burg, the Director of Conservation for The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, says it is a pleasant surprise to see bald eagles breeding more and more everyday.
“In just 39 years we went from having almost extinct species of our national emblem, to having 100,000 animals across the continent.”
Eagles were almost at the brink of extinction because, as Dr. Danoff-Burg stated, people started using DDT as a pesticide. They even got down to as few as roughly 400 breeding pairs across the entire continent. DDT has since been banned and now, they’re thriving instead of just surviving.
“It’s an amazing love story. They mate for life and when they widow they will find another mate, but not until then,” he added.
NBC Palm Springs Has been monitoring these two bald eagles, which are living proof of this breeding boom.
“They are very good parents. They go out and feed and forage all day long top get food.”
It’s clear these are parents who are working together to build a home for their future eaglets.
“So they make the nest using thick branches and thick twigs. The largest eagle nest ever found was about 9 feet long and 20 feet deep.”
There’s no doubt that this pair is doing everything right to make sure everything is ready to go for when the family of two grows into a family of four.
“One bird is always on the eggs at all times,” Dr. Danoff-Burg told NBC Palm Springs.
The eggs are expected to hatch sometime mid-April. Experts at The Living Zoo also wanted to remind everyone we can all help with eagle conservation by using less pesticides and eliminating the use of toxic chemicals.
