Ohio bald eagle nests soar to new high in 2025 census
Bald eagles thrive in wetland habitats and are especially concentrated near large water bodies.
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Ohio is now home to 964 confirmed active bald eagle nests, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
The 2025 bald eagle nest census was informed by more than 1,800 reports from citizen scientists statewide. Division of Wildlife staff followed up on those reports and confirmed nest activity in 87 of Ohio’s 88 counties. Nests were considered active if they contained an incubating eagle, eggs or eaglets.
“This nest census represents the most complete picture possible of Ohio’s breeding bald eagle population,” the agency said.
ODNR Director Mary Mertz called the bald eagle one of Ohio’s great conservation success stories. She said the eagle’s comeback over the past few decades, both in Ohio and nationwide, demonstrates the power of habitat conservation.
Bald eagles thrive in wetland habitats and are especially concentrated near large water bodies. Lake Erie and other major water sources offer an abundance of food, particularly fish. The counties with the highest number of bald eagle nests include Ottawa (112), Sandusky (61), Erie (40), Seneca (36), Wyandot (31), Trumbull (29), Lucas (27), Huron (21), Wood (20), Coshocton (19), Knox (19), Licking (19) and Mercer (19).
Each spring the Division of Wildlife uses aerial surveys over part of the state to estimate nesting eagle populations. Full statewide censuses are conducted less frequently. The last was in 2020, when Ohio recorded 707 active bald eagle nests. That means the state’s active nests have increased by 36% over five years.
“The census was a success because of the involvement of so many Ohioans,” said Laura Kearns, a wildlife biologist with the Division of Wildlife. “This comprehensive study shows that Ohio’s eagle population is resilient and thriving.”
Based on 2025 aerial data, the nest success rate — defined as nests with eggs or eaglets — was 78%, slightly down from 82% in 2024 and above the 73% rate in 2023. The average number of eaglets per active nest this year was 1.3, compared to 1.6 last year and 1.2 in 2023.
Bald eagles depend on specific habitat conditions to flourish. Counties with the highest nest numbers have abundant wetlands, large rivers and expansive lakes or reservoirs. Conservation efforts to protect these habitats are supported by the sale of Ohio’s bald eagle license plates, income tax donations to the Endangered Species and Wildlife Diversity Fund, and sales of the Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp. Additional information is available at www.wildohio.gov.
Ohio’s bald eagle population was once on the brink of disappearance, with only four nesting pairs documented in 1979. Through the work of the Division of Wildlife, Ohio zoos, landowners and other conservation partners, the population steadily increased. The bald eagle was removed from the federal endangered species list in 2007 and from Ohio’s list in 2012.
These birds remain protected under state law and the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Disturbing bald eagles, especially at nesting sites, is illegal and can cause eagles to abandon their nests. Wildlife officials advise keeping at least 100 yards away when viewing them in the wild.
