FORT COLLINS, Colo. — More than 300 bald eagle pairs are now nesting in Colorado, according to 2023 data being compiled by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW).
It's the highest total on record, marking an almost 17% increase from 2022.
The latest total signifies a historic rebound from just a handful of nests statewide in the 1970s after insecticide wiped out eagle populations across the country.
"It's definitely exciting for folks," Avian researcher Reesa Conrey said. "People tend to get pretty excited when they see a bald eagle."
Conrey has been monitoring nests along the Front Range for CPW this breeding season.
She says one big topic of research is why the eagles are thriving in urban areas, and in a state not known for ample water.
"Near water is where eagles spend their time," Conrey said. "We have enough of it to support the population that we have, obviously. We keep expecting we’re going to reach that plateau and the nest numbers won't climb any higher, that eventually the good nesting sites will be taken, the good territory will be filled, but we haven’t reached that plateau yet.”
Conrey says the overwhelming majority of the nests CPW is seeing are in cottonwood trees near reservoirs.
She's hoping the research will provide more answers into the surge in population, and how far it could go.
“It’ll be interesting to see whether we see more pairs and more nests being built, or whether we reach a plateau in next numbers," Conrey said. "I wouldn’t do all this job if we already knew all the answers.”
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