Young bald eagle, one of the first born in Paterson in decades, dies

Scott Fallon | NorthJersey

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A young bald eagle believed to be the first hatched in Paterson in decades if not centuries died this week, members of the Bergen County Audubon Society confirmed Friday.

The bird, which hatched this year and had become a symbol of the species resurgence in New Jersey, was found Monday afternoon out of its nest on the ground appearing weak. It would not fly away when approached by people looking to help.

"A lot of good folks worked hard to try to save this poor guy," said Don Torino, head of Bergen Audubon. "We're heartbroken."

Audubon does not want to identify the location of the bird's nest, fearing it would distress the pair of adult eagles that call it home. Torino asked that those who know of the location to stay far away.

Bald eagles have seen a remarkable resurgence in New Jersey and nationally three decades after almost being wiped out from the pesticide DDT. There are at least 170 nesting pairs statewide that produced more than 200 chicks in 2016, up from a single pair in the Garden State in 1982.

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Audubon members were excited but concerned when they spotted a nesting pair in Paterson a few years ago because the city is so densely populated and has a long history of post-industrial pollution. When an eaglet hatched this year it was celebrated among birders as an example of how far the species has come back.

"This may be the first eagle hatched in Paterson since colonial times, maybe 200 years," Torino said.

The young eagle emerged from its nest only three to four weeks ago, said Christopher Takacs, an Audubon member, who kept close tabs on the bird.

On Monday, Takacs received a call that the young eagle appeared to be acting erratically. Observers said the bird would feebly chase groundhogs as prey but wouldn't venture to the Passaic River where an abundant fish supply has helped attract the eagles.

The bird appeared very weak and underweight, Takacs said. It would fly only short distances and not far from the ground.

"At first I didn't think it looked that bad, but after a while you could see it just wasn't acting like a normal eagle," he said. "The bird was basically starving and it was sick."

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With the help of Paterson Animal Control, Takacs and others who have experience dealing with distressed birds wrapped the eagle in a towel. It didn't put up a fight.

Takacs put the eagle in the backseat of his car and took it to Raptor Trust, a bird rescue and rehabilitation center in Morris County. "I kept talking to it the entire ride," Takacs said. "I just didn't want the bird to die in my car."

The cause of death still needs to be determined, but Audubon members have said that many raptors have been sickened this summer with West Nile virus due to a surge in mosquitoes from the warm and wet summer.

Torino said the eagle's death shows that more has to be done to ensure that the species will be able to thrive in New Jersey.

"The eagles have done their part fighting to come back from the brink of extinction," Torino said. "Now we need to do our part to make sure they have a safe environment to call home."