{"id":413198,"date":"2026-01-17T15:44:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T15:44:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/413198\/"},"modified":"2026-01-17T15:44:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T15:44:09","slug":"long-island-bald-eagle-nesting-season-why-you-need-to-stay-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/413198\/","title":{"rendered":"Long Island bald eagle nesting season: Why you need to stay back"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA bald eagle gathers nesting material on the East End of Long Island. (Credit: Laura Helf courtesy photo)\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

The tell-tale steady soar of a bald eagle is a regular occurrence here on the North Fork \u2014 thanks to conservation efforts that have helped the protected species rebound along the East Coast. <\/p>\n

This time of year, however, experts say viewing from a distance is vital to the survival of the next generation of raptors.<\/p>\n

\u201cBald eagles on Long Island are entering their nesting season \u2014 a critical time when they\u2019re extremely sensitive to disturbance,\u201d said Jennifer Murray of Turtleback Conservation Center.<\/a> \u201cBy respecting their need for space, you\u2019re helping protect this threatened species.\u201d<\/p>\n

Late January and early February, the birds are focused on nest building, repair and courtship. A healthy pair will start to lay eggs in February and March. Too much attention from interested nature aficionados can cause them to abandon their nest and efforts \u2014 even already laid eggs.<\/p>\n

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service<\/a>, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act defines disturbance as agitating or bothering an eagle in ways that cause injury, decrease productivity by interfering with breeding or feeding, or cause nest abandonment. Violations are punishable by fines up to $20,000.<\/p>\n

Ms. Murray suggested remaining in the vehicle or using it as a blind, so you see the bird, but it doesn\u2019t see you. Binoculars, spotting scopes and long zoom lens cameras are also tools that promote safe viewing, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re supposed to be remain undisturbed. If they\u2019re feeding on a carcass, the same old thing applies. They\u2019re trying to survive right now in the winter. Causing them to fly because you want a closer shot. That\u2019s considered harassment,\u201d Ms. Murray said.<\/p>\n

If you see someone harassing or disturbing bald eagles, you can report it by calling the\u00a0state Department of Environmental Conservation\u2019s\u00a024\/7 dispatch at 1-844-DEC-ECOS (1-844-332-3267).<\/p>\n

More information on local bald eagles and how to view them safely<\/a>, including identification<\/a> and a place to report a sighting<\/a>, visit turtlebackconservationcenter.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A bald eagle gathers nesting material on the East End of Long Island. (Credit: Laura Helf courtesy photo)…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":413199,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[79,201],"class_list":["post-413198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wildlife","tag-science","tag-wildlife"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413198","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=413198"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413198\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/413199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=413198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=413198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=413198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}