The bald eagle population in the Channel Islands has recently concluded its most successful breeding season in years, reported the National Park Service (NPS) on July 3. Twenty-four chicks have fledged from their nests — a notable increase from the 19 counted last year. Bird lovers everywhere can view them through a live webcam available on the Channel Islands National Park website. The eaglets were born to 19 breeding pairs and span five islands.
The bald eagle population has been increasing steadily over the years, according to Channel Islands National Park Superintendent Ethan McKinley. A collaborative recovery program running from 2002 through 2006 brought the species back to the area after it was wiped out in the 1950s from DDT — a notorious industrial pesticide that caused birds’ eggs to crack too easily.
