The lands surrounding our reservoirs are home to the largest density of bald eagle nests in New York. The untouched forests, high trees for nesting, and open waters for hunting make the watershed an ideal habitat for bald eagles.
There are currently 35 active bald eagle nests around our reservoirs in the Catskills and Hudson Valley. Visitors can see the national bird soaring throughout the year, but they gather around the reservoirs in especially large numbers during winter. That’s because the reservoirs constantly release water downstream of their dams, creating some highly coveted stretches of open water in which the bald eagles hunt for food.
Bald eagles were almost extinct in New York by the 1970s because of habitat destruction, poaching and poisoning by the now-banned pesticide DDT. Their resurgence in New York is a great environmental success story. Each winter, our biologists participate in a national bald eagle survey. They commonly count more than 70 — and sometimes more than 100 — bald eagles in a single day.
Our thriving population of bald eagles — and the clean water and protected lands they depend on — are good signs for the health of planet Earth.
