Art Weber, a nature photographer, and Denis Franklin, a crew leader in the Natural Resources Dept., are coworkers at Metroparks today, but their paths first crossed in the 1980s, when Denis was part of the team working to restore Ohio's bald eagle population as a member of the ODNR Division of Wildlife staff at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area. Art was an early volunteer, spotting eagle nests as part of the research project.

The photo above, from Art's files, shows Denis holding a bald eagle while it was being examined and tagged by another member of the team, biologist Mark Shieldcastle.

Today, eagles are commonly seen across Ohio, but it wasn't always that way. Five active nests currently in the Metroparks are more than there were in the entire state when this photo was taken.

Metroparks asked Denis to discuss what was involved in the effort to restore America's national symbol.

From Just 4 to 910 Nests

The resurgence of the Bald Eagle population in Ohio is truly a wildlife success story. From a low of four nests in 1979 to an estimated count of 910 nesting pairs in 2024, eagles have become a somewhat common and welcoming site in northwest Ohio.

Ottawa County alone recorded close to 90 nests, and 20 in Lucas County. Through funding provided by sales of the bald eagle license plates, income tax check-off and Wildlife Legacy stamps, conservation efforts were directed toward restoring and protecting their habitat.

Several projects were initiated to assist the Ohio Division of Wildlife with the bald eagle project.  One project was enlisting the help from several hundred volunteers who were trained and sent out to observe nests in various counties throughout Ohio.  The data from these observations allowed biologists to track the number of nests, nest activity and unfortunately, mortality. The data were also used to determine possible hatching and fledgling timeframes.  That lead to a project involving banding of the young eaglets.

The banding project required three teams: a climbing crew, a second team working on the ground and a third person to oversee safety. These teams worked closely to ensure a safe and efficient operation.

The climbing crew consisted of a trained climber and a rope person on the ground.  The climber would ascend the tree and actually climb into the nest to capture the eaglet.  He would place the bird in a container which was then lowered down for the ground crew to take over.

On the ground, the bird was examined for any possible health issues. One person (Denis) was responsible for holding the bird securely while a biologist (Mark Shieldcastle) drew blood from the underside of the wing for future analysis. A third person was tasked with holding the extended wing securely during the blood draw.

A numbered wing tag known as a patagial tag was placed on the eaglet wing to allow for future identification in the field.  A metal leg band was also attached as required by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.  Prior to placing it back in the container and into the nest, the eaglet wings were saturated with water to discourage the bird from attempting to fly as soon as it was released.

Eagle banding started in 1983 and concluded in 2009. The volunteer eagle observation program continues today through both the Ohio Division of Wildlife and Metroparks Toledo’s raptor program.  Both agencies welcome volunteers.

--

Bald Eagles in the Metroparks

Watch a 13abc "Metroparks Meetup" segment about the current status of bald eagles in the Metroparks.

>WATCH