2 Bald Eagles Return To Bergen County

Two bald eagles have returned to their nesting tree near Overpeck Creek in Ridgefield Park at the start of the breeding season, much to the delight of local birders.

The eagles, named Al and Alice, are being protected thanks to a plan approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that calls for a 330-foot buffer zone between the nest and a large Ridgefield Park development. A permit would preserve nearly 6 acres of land surrounding the nest.

"It's incredible that they're back. I never thought it would happen," said Don Torino, president of the Bergen County Audubon Society. "At one point in the 1970s, we thought bald eagles would go extinct, but the Clean Water Act and the banning of DDT helped the birds come back."

DDT, a synthetic insecticide, was initially used to combat malaria, typhus, and the other insect-borne human diseases. However, it lead to rapid decline of avian populations. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned it from public use in 1972.

The eagles have gained a following thanks to a Facebook page dedicated to them. The page has more than 650 "likes."

Torino said Alice has given birth to nine chicks. There are also four immature bald eagles near Al and Alice's nest, but there is no way to tell if they are their offspring. The eagles live in the area all year.

The 6 acres of land is on the proposed 55-acre, 1,500-residential unit SkyMark development, NorthJersey.com reported.

SkyMark proposed cutting down Al and Alice's nesting tree and replace it with a metal tower, but Fish and Wildlife rejected the plan in 2014, according to the report. A new plan would preserve the 6 acres of land, the report said.

Al and Alice picked a good spot to live, Torino said, due to the abundance of fish in the area, despite it being an urban environment.

"The challenge isn’t over," Torino said. "We are to see if we have what it takes to keep them around. We have to make sure they stay here. People did their jobs years of of protecting them, now we have to finish their work and make sure they stay around."

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Photos:
Al and Alice near their nest in Ridgefield Park.
Al at the nest
One of the eagles soaring through the air.
Photos courtesy of the Bergen County Audubon Society