In the 1960s only two pairs of bald eagles were nesting in the City of Vancouver – one pair in Stanley Park and one near UBC. Today, Stanley Park Ecology Society monitors 19 bald eagle nests throughout Vancouver, and we have been doing this since 2005. Read our latest update on how Vancouver’s bald eagles are faring.
The bald eagle’s recovery is an extraordinary conservation success story. Once abundant across North America, the species became rare in the mid-to-late 1900s after it fell victim to trapping, shooting, and poisoning as well as pesticide-caused reproductive failures.
Today you don’t have to look too hard to see this iconic bird soar high up in the sky or flap low over treetops with slow wingbeats. These large aerial predators nest in the forests of Stanley Park, in large trees on the waterfront, and in some distinctly urban locations. From their nests they overlook soccer and baseball games, arts venues, parking lots, picnics, houses and streets.
Ranging between 5-6 feet in diameter and 2-4 feet tall, these eagles build some of the largest of all bird nests. Sticks are weaved together and cracks are filled with grass, moss and other soft material. The eaglets have a comfy home with this inside of the nest being lined first with lichen and then with downy feathers.
You can read more info about Vancouver’s bald eagles here. The final report will be available on our website later this summer.