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<\/p>\nWidely known for its majestic appearance, one of the largest birds of prey in North America can be spotted more often these days in Mississauga, Brampton, Toronto and other communities across southern Ontario.<\/p>\n
The instantly recognizable bald eagle, which can live to be more than 30 years old, has for years been a rare sight in the Mississauga skies and elsewhere across the region.<\/p>\n
However, that\u2019s changed lately, local conservation officials say.<\/p>\n
\u201cBald eagles are a conservation success story in the Credit River Watershed,\u201d Credit Valley Conservation officials said last week. \u201cOnce rare due to habitat loss and pollution, these powerful birds have returned as water quality has improved and fish populations have rebounded, a clear sign of a healthier watershed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Credit Valley Conservation works to protect, restore and enhance the watershed area in Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon, Halton Hills and Orangeville \u2014 all home to sections of the Credit River, which empties into Lake Ontario in the Port Credit area of Mississauga.<\/p>\n
Bald eagles can be found throughout most of North America, according to the local conservation authority, and within the Credit River Watershed they are most often sighted in Mississauga near Lake Ontario or the Credit River because of their affinity for water.<\/p>\n
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\u201cDespite their name, bald eagles are not bald. Instead, their white-feathered heads shine in contrast to their dark-brown body and wings,\u201d CVC said earlier of the iconic bird that\u2019s become synonymous with the United States.<\/p>\n
Some bald eagles stay in the same general area for the entire year while others are migratory, CVC said earlier, adding September and October are the best time of year to spot migratory bald eagles in southern Ontario.<\/p>\n
The conservation authority also noted earlier that nesting of bald eagles has, in the last few years, been documented close to Port Credit and also confirmed in Hamilton, Toronto, Oakville and several other locations around the Greater Toronto Area.<\/p>\n
CVC says actions that may have increased the local population of bald eagles include:<\/p>\n
the banning in Canada in 1985 of the pesticide DDT
\nhabitat restoration and improved water quality
\nprotection of green spaces, forests and wetlands
\nprotection under the Endangered Species Act in Ontario<\/p>\n
\u201cPopulations increased and stayed stable from these conservation efforts to a point that they were removed from the Ontario Endangered Species Act in 2023,\u201d CVC said earlier.<\/p>\n
(Cover photo: Credit Valley Conservation X)<\/p>\n