Bald Eagles Remain in Palos Area, For Now

Bald eagles nesting in a Cook County preserve that nested earlier this year are prepping for an Illinois winter.

"The ," said Jim Phillips, a fisheries biologist with the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and an avid bird watcher.

Both the parents and at least one young eagle have been spotted in the Saganashkee Slough, McGinnis Slough and Tampier Slough areas, Phillips said. While they believe two hatched, spotters have only been able to confirm one of the young birds as they look identical and haven't yet seen two together at the same time.

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A pair of bald eagles nested in Palos Township next to this spring. Right now, the young birds are as big, if not bigger than, mom and dad. They're entirely dark brown right now and will eventually molt over the next several years, becoming mostly brown with some white.

Whether the birds stay in the area or migrate to more inviting parts of the state remains to be seen.

"The young will probably move out the area for a while. When they’re young, they have a tendency to wander," Phillips said. After about 4 or 5 years, the eagles likely will return to the area where they were hatched.

"They’re going to go wherever they can get food," he said.

Eagles stay near bodies of water where they can fish. Bald eagles sustain themselves on a diet almost entirely of fish. Illinois actually is great for eagles, Phillips said. Dams on Illinois rivers provide ideal fishing areas for the birds of prey. How rough the winter gets is a big factor.

Actually spotting one the eagles might be difficult, Phillips said. They prefer to stay away from people.

Spotting the young brown eagles, which look black from a distance, might get easier after the leaves fall. Phillip said there's even the possibility of more eagles moving through the area.

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