By 1808Delaware
The reports came in quietly at first. A note from a riverbank. A photograph from a frozen field. A pair seen circling above a wooded bend in the Olentangy.
Over 15 days in early January, Ohioans across the state participated in a midwinter citizen survey organized by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. From Jan. 7 through Jan. 21, 391 separate reports documented 715 bald eagles in the Buckeye State.
And no county reported more than Delaware County. Here, observers counted 26 bald eagles, tying with Franklin County for the highest number in Ohio.
A Statewide Effort With A Local Center
The survey was part of a broader request from ODNR as the nation moves into the 250th anniversary year in 2026. Residents were asked to log eagle sightings through the Wildlife Reporting System, creating a snapshot of where the national bird is thriving in the depths of winter.
Of the 715 eagles reported statewide, 592 were adults and 123 were immature birds. The data came from wetlands, rivers, reservoirs, lakes, and wooded corridors across Ohio, but the numbers in Delaware County stood out. That is no accident.
Delaware County’s network of rivers, wooded riparian corridors, wetlands, and reservoirs offers exactly the habitat bald eagles prefer in winter. The Olentangy and Scioto river systems, Alum Creek, Delaware Lake, and the county’s extensive tree cover provide food, perches, and protected nesting areas in close proximity.
Why Winter Is Prime Time For Eagle Watching
January and February are among the best months of the year to see bald eagles in Ohio. With the leaves off the trees, sight lines open up. Courtship and early nest building begin now. Eagles are more active and more visible. Adults are easy to recognize. The bright white head and tail stand in sharp contrast to the dark body. Immature eagles, which take four to five years to develop those field marks, are mottled brown and white and often confuse first-time observers.
A good pair of binoculars or a spotting scope makes a difference. Eagles are frequently perched high in large trees such as sycamores, oaks, beeches, and cottonwoods near water.
A Remarkable Recovery Story
This survey result is also a reminder of how far Ohio has come. In 1979, there were only four nesting pairs of bald eagles in the entire state. Four.
A 2025 nest census found 964 active nests across Ohio. Nests were documented in 87 of Ohio’s 88 counties. The bald eagle, once endangered, was removed from the federal threatened and endangered list in 2007 and from Ohio’s list in 2012.
That recovery did not happen by chance. It came from decades of habitat protection, enforcement of wildlife laws, cooperation with landowners, work by wildlife rehabilitators, and public support for conservation funding.
How Conservation Is Funded
Much of the work that protects bald eagle habitat in Ohio is paid for in ways many residents do not realize:
• Bald eagle conservation license plates
• Income tax donations to the Endangered Species and Wildlife Diversity Fund
• Sales of the Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp
• Revenue from hunting and fishing licenses, which fund wildlife area expansion and habitat management
That funding helps preserve the wetlands and wooded river corridors that eagles and countless other species depend on.
Viewing With Respect
Eagles can now be seen in all 88 Ohio counties, but seeing one comes with responsibility. Bald eagles are protected under both state law and the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
Observers should remain at least 100 yards away, especially near nest sites. Disturbance at a nest can cause a pair to abandon eggs. Delaware County residents are in one of the best places in Ohio to witness this conservation success story. The rivers, lakes, and tree lines that shape the county’s landscape are now home to a bird that, not long ago, was nearly gone from Ohio skies.
A National Symbol, Seen Close To Home
As the country approaches its 250th anniversary, residents of Delaware County can look up and see something deeply fitting. The national symbol is not an abstract image on a seal or a flag. It is perched in a sycamore along the river. It is gliding over a frozen reservoir. It is building a nest high above a wooded bend. And more of them were seen here this January than anywhere else in Ohio.
Source: ODNR
