Rare Bald Eagle Nest With Chicks Spotted In Cleveland National Forest

CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST, CA — A pair of bald eagles and their two eaglets have taken up residence along a Forest Service Road in the eastern Santa Ana Mountains, a spokesperson for Cleveland National Forest said Friday.

The nest was originally spotted earlier this year, and forest service biologists have been collaborating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to monitor the nest since then.

"Recent activity suggests the two chicks appear to be in good condition and are being fed regularly by the parents," a Cleveland National Forest news statement said.

According to forest officials, the nest is located along the Indian Truck Trail, a single-lane dirt-surface road normally open to street-legal motorized vehicles and hiking, biking and equestrian users.

While normally open to the public, the recent winter storms prompted officials to close the road to motorized vehicles for the foreseeable future. However hiking, equestrian and non-motorized use may continue from the bottom of the road in Temescal Valley to a marked "wildlife viewing area," which provides a protective buffer from the nest.

While bald eagles have historically been endangered, habitat protection and conservation efforts have resulted in the bird being removed from the endangered species list in 2007.

The birds, however, are still protected under the Migratory Bird Treat Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, forest officials said.

“It’s amazing to have a national symbol like the bald eagle nesting right here on our doorstep in western Riverside County,” Darrell Vance, District Ranger for the Trabuco Ranger District, said in a statement. “We know the public is very interested– it’s a rare opportunity to see these birds locally - but we want to urge the public to recreate responsibly. Please give the wildlife lots of room: the risk is there for full closure of the area if people cannot respect the eagles’ space.”

For more information on bald eagles and how to see them in the wild respectfully, visit Cleveland National Forest's website.

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