Bald Eagle Born On Darien's Great Island, Town Says

DARIEN, CT — The bald eagles that have been nesting on Darien's Great Island recently welcomed a baby eaglet, according to an announcement from the town.

In the latest Darien community newsletter, which happened to go out on the Fourth of July, Selectman and Great Island Advisory Committee Chair (GIAC) Monica McNally said at least one eaglet has been spotted in a nest from a distance through binoculars.

"There has been a lot of discussion about our bald eagle nest on Great Island, and the pair of eagles living in it have been seen flying high above the treetops for months," McNally said. "A part of the island has been restricted from entrance during the nesting season, which is coming to an end this month. I am happy to report Great News: the mating has been successful this year!"

To protect the area, the GIAC implemented a partial closure of the property's bridle path.

Federal and state regulations note that a 330-foot radius must be kept from an eagle's nest during the nesting and early fledgling period, which is from Feb. 1 through July 15.

McNally urged visitors to Great Island to remain respectful of the property restrictions, but she encouraged people to keep their eyes on the skies to catch a glimpse of the majestic birds.

"The eagles in flight are a special and spectacular sight," she said.

The bald eagle was chosen as the national symbol of the United States in 1782 by the Second Continental Congress because the species is unique to North America, the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection says.

But the bald eagle went from being common in the early 1700s to extremely rare in the lower 48 states by the 1960s, CT-DEEP notes.

"This precipitous decline was due to loss of habitat and nesting trees, food contamination by pesticides, and illegal shooting," according to CT-DEEP.

In 1992, the bird was classified as an endangered species in Connecticut, but nesting has increased over the years.

The bald eagle's status in Connecticut was reclassified as threatened in 2010, CT-DEEP says.

More information on bald eagles in CT can be found here.