Bald Eagle Nesting in Georgia

Early Fall: Nest Prep Eagles return to nesting territories. Nests can take from a few days to a few months to build. Some nests are re-used for years.

November-February: Eggs Laid Most often two eggs are laid per nest, though sometimes one or three. Typically, one egg is laid per day. Nesting along the coast can start and end as much as two months earlier than in north Georgia.

About 35 Days: Incubation Incubation begins when the first egg is laid. Both parents take turns incubating.

January-February: Hatching Hatching occurs over several days. The first hatchling is usually bigger because it’s one-two days older.

8-12 Weeks: Rearing Young Parents shelter, feed and guard the eaglets for 8-12 weeks. By 10 weeks, the young are nearly the same size as the adults. They begin flapping their wings, hopping onto branches and trying short flights.

11-14 Weeks: Fledging The young typically leave the nest, or fledge, from late March to early May (but as late as June in north Georgia). Fledglings remain in the general area of the nest and are fed by the parents for up to six weeks.

First Year: Dispersal

 Bald Eagles at a Glance

• After a decline that resulted in no known successful nests in Georgia from 1971-1980, bald eagles have gradually recovered in the state and elsewhere in the U.S.
• Eagles nest in about 70 Georgia counties. A third of the nests are in the six coastal counties.
• While there is no good estimate of the number of eagles in Georgia, the population increases in fall and winter as wintering eagles arrive from the northern U.S. The most recent statewide survey documented 229 nests in 2022.
• Bald eagle nests are big: generally 5-6 feet in diameter and 2-4 feet tall. Most are built in mature, living pines – about 95 percent are in pines – and just below the upper canopy.
• Eagle pairs mate for life and often use the same nest for several years before rebuilding nearby.
• Usually nests are near reservoirs, rivers and other wetlands. Eagles eat fish, waterfowl (particularly coots during nesting season), other birds, turtles, small mammals and carrion.
• Nesting differs by latitude in Georgia. Eagles on the coast nest and fledge young earlier than those in the mid-state and much earlier than those nesting near reservoirs in the mountains.
• DNR monitors nesting in January to determine occupancy and in March or April to estimate productivity. The surveys inform management and identify potential threats.
• Although removed from the Endangered Species Act list in 2007, bald eagles are state-listed in Georgia as threatened and federally protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection and Migratory Bird Treaty acts.
• Threats to eagles vary from the neurological disease vacuolar myelinopathy to being shot, hit by cars and sickened and killed by eating poisoned rodents and deer carcasses containing lead bullets.
• Learn more about bald eagles, including how to identify them and their nests.

Identifying Bald Eagles

Bald eagles do not fully exhibit the distinctive white heads and tails or yellow bills and irises until 4-5 years old. During their first few years, the birds range in color from almost solid brown to brown with white blotches. Before age 5, bald eagles are usually called sub-adults or immatures.

Mistaken Identity

Golden eagles are occasionally seen in rural Georgia, almost always between mid-fall and late winter. While adult bald and golden eagles are easy to distinguish, immature bald eagles are often reported as golden eagles. One tip: Look for the golden head and nape in golden eagles of all ages, and the bright white patches at the base of the flight feathers and the tail in first-year birds.

Osprey nests are often misidentified as eagle nests. Ospreys, another fish-eating species, often use the same nest year after year and the nests can become large. But ospreys usually nest at the very top of trees – usually dead ones – and on human-made structures such as cell and electrical towers. Most eagle nests are just below the upper canopy of trees and eagles rarely nest on non-natural structures.

Both species have white heads, but ospreys have a dark line through the eyes, white undersides and the top of their tails is brown. Adult eagles are brown with white heads and tails and are much larger than ospreys. In flight, eagles tend to hold their wings flat and straight; osprey wings are angled and bowed.

Give Them Room

Stay at least 330 feet away from an active eagle nest. Getting closer violates federal guidelines and can disturb adults – keeping them from incubating eggs or feeding chicks – or cause the young to jump from the nest before they are ready to fledge.

It is not uncommon to see eaglets and other young raptors on the ground. Do not approach or try to handle them. Their parents are likely nearby.

For more information, including about guidelines regarding active eagle nests, contact DNR’s Wildlife Conservation Section office (478-994-1438) or Dr. Bob Sargent (bob.sargent@dnr.ga.gov).