Bald Eagles Are Back to Roost in Cleveland This Season

The eagles are back in Cleveland, and we don't mean the band.

After a historic return of bald eagles to Cleveland's city limits last winter, area naturalists have reported seeing at least 15 of the winged creatures once again in the Industrial Valley in the last couple weeks.


The birds of prey are part of a Northeast Ohio birding population that appears to be gaining in strength. The snowy owl population along the north shore also surged last winter, and that trend is looking to grow this year as well.

Back in the late 1970s, the outlook looked bleak for bald eagles in Ohio, after only four nesting pairs were found in the entire state. Yet in recent years, the species has been spotted roosting all over Northeast Ohio, just not in Cleveland itself. Now, it appears these animals have deemed the Cuyahoga River area safe enough to return to this season, making heading down the Towpath Trail even more majestic than ever.

Find out more about bird watching with the Cleveland Metroparks right here.