Ever since the second baby eagle finally hatched in Avon Lake, people are invested in how they are doing. However, they are not the only new birds on the block. The Mentor Marsh is home to two new baby eaglets.
To learn more about bald eagles, News 5 reached out to Mentor Marsh to help educate viewers on eagles and the habitats they live in.
Becky Donaldson, Mentor Marsh Naturalist Manager, provided some facts on bald eagles and their life.
“Eagles eat fish. They're their primary source of food, so they usually live around watery environments. So their marsh is a perfect spot,” Donaldson said.
Bald eagles also share the same habitat with birds such as ospreys, but the difference between eagles and ospreys is that eagles hunt other prey.
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“Whether it’s ducks or gulls, mammals like muskrats. Really anything that they can catch that are around their wetlands or watery habitats, eagles will eat. Osprey only eat fish," she said.
Another differentiation between the two birds is that ospreys tend to migrate away from the area during the cold. However, bald eagles stay in the cold.
“Sometimes, we'll see a dozen eagles around Lake Erie over the wintertime because they're here for the fish. But osprey want to make sure they have fish. So they go south where they can get to have a more predictable amount of fish for them to hunt from,” Donaldson said.
Last year, the state said there were about 806 bald eagle nests statewide.
The count is up 14% from 707 nests documented in 2020. When the federal government declared the species endangered in the late 1970s, there were only four nesting pairs in Ohio.
With the wetlands being the perfect place for eagles to reside, Donaldson explained why marshlands are so crucial to not only eagles but other wildlife.
“Wetlands have lots of different functions. Obviously, they support a huge number of critters that call them home. But the whole food chain is there. Starting with the microscopic life in the water cascading all the way up to all the wetland plants. So it’s about having a diversity of wildlife for these animals to flourish,” Donaldson said.
Mentor Marsh is home to so many other amazing wildlife and landmarks such as beavers creek, the wake-robin boardwalk, and even a Girl Scout-made trail to look at the now blossoming trout lilies.
Whether you want to go out and see the bald eagles in person, or if you are just looking to explore more of the outdoors, Mentor Marsh is the perfect destination for anyone.
“It's just a fun place to explore. Whether you come out with a naturalist or out on your own. Our trees are open, dawn to dusk, year-round, so there's always something to find outside whenever you get outside” Donaldson said.
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