PHOENIX — A record-number of bald eagle eggs were laid across Arizona this year, resulting in dozens of new hatchlings.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department reported on Friday that 96 baby bald eagles hatched during the 2024 breeding season, which surpassed the previous record of 87 hatchlings reported both in 2021 and 2018.
A total of 119 eggs were laid in up to 104 breeding areas. At least 77 of the young bald eagles have reached their first flight, known as a fledging.
Back in the late 1970s, the state reported having only 11 breeding areas for eagles.
“The fact that we continue to see an increase in breeding areas and hatchlings speaks to the resiliency of these magnificent animals and the effectiveness of ongoing efforts to help conserve and protect Arizona’s bald eagles," Kenneth “Tuk” Jacobson, the department's bald eagle management coordinator, said in a statement.
In 2007, bald eagles were removed as a protected species under the Endangered Species Act.
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