EagleWatch engages volunteers and individuals to help protect our nation’s symbol.
The program started in 1992 in the Central Florida region, with only 22 volunteers. Fast forward 30 years and the program has grown to more than 600 volunteers monitoring 1100+ nests in 53 counties.
Thanks to continued legal protections and the monitoring efforts of the EagleWatch Program over the past three decades, Florida’s eagle population has made an amazing recovery and is now considered stable, with approximately 2,500 nesting pairs.
These volunteer Citizen Scientists collect vital nest productivity data to assess the status of the population. Although the nesting season is from September to May, not all eagles go by our calendar and can be seen into mid or late June.
Bald Eagles are important indicators of healthy ecosystems in our state, however, Florida’s eagles face many challenges related to our expanding human population: loss of habitat, secondary rat or lead poisoning, car strikes, and electrocution. EagleWatch works to identify and help mitigate these threats to ensure a stable or increasing population of eagles in our state.
Shawnlei Breeding, Program Manager of EagleWatch states,
“Looking forward, as Florida’s landscape continues to change, the mission of the EagleWatch Program remains the same: the conservation of nesting eagles in Florida through nest location documentation and monitoring, nest disturbance advocacy, and research. Thanks to the passion and dedication of our incredible volunteers, EagleWatch will continue to be a driving force in the conservation of Florida’s population of Bald Eagles, keeping a finger on the pulse of the population to ensure that future Floridians will have the privilege of seeing these magnificent creatures.”
You can support this important work through our Friends of Eagles program or by joining the EagleWatch program as a volunteer in your area.
If you are interested in participating in this Community Science program, download a registration form or email the Program Manager at eaglewatch@audubon.
Review the 2016-2017 EagleWatch Report
Review the 2017-2018 EagleWatch Report
Review the 2018-2019 EagleWatch Report
Review the 2019-2020 Eaglewatch Report
Review the 2020-2021 Eaglewatch Report
30 Years of Eagle Watch, a Review
Review the 2021-2022 Eaglewatch Report