Eaglets Spotted in Will County Forest Preserve Nest

Two eaglets spotted in a Will County Forest Preserve nest were photographed by Bertrand Leclercq, a frequent contributor to the Will County Wildlife Facebook Group, which is overseen by the Forest Preserve District of Will County. –Photo courtesy of Betrand Leclercq.

A Forest Preserve District of Will County photo contributor confirmed there are two eaglets in a Will County Forest Preserve nest.

Photos of the eaglets were taken by Bertrand Leclercq, a regular poster to the Will County Wildlife Facebook Group, which is overseen by the Forest Preserve. The nest, one-of-two known eagle nests in the district, also produced two offspring last year.

It can be hard to spot the eaglets when they are first born, considering bald eagle nests generally measure four-to-five feet wide and are two-to-four feet deep. Nests are used year after year and require some maintenance and additions prior to nesting season.

The eaglets should start branching – when they start exploring outside of the nest – about 10 weeks after hatching. At around 12 weeks, they’ll start testing their wings and will remain in the area with their parents’ supervision for the rest of the summer and into the fall.

Joel Craig, a longtime Forest Preserve volunteer and Will County Audubon Society member, said that an increasing number of immature bald eagles in the winter indicates the ones we’re seeing now are residents and not migrants. It’s also evidence the Will County Forest Preserves have good, clean water and a healthy fish population to support them year-round, he said.

“To see eagles rebound like they have in this area in the past 10 years has been pretty exciting,” Craig added.

It’s important to note eagles and their nests are federally protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and human interference could cause them to abandon the nest and their eggs.

The National Audubon Society recommends being at least 330 feet away from a nest and warns against doing anything that could disturb the eagles and distract them from successfully raising their young. In order to protect these birds, the Forest Preserve District never publicly discloses nesting locations.

For more information, visit ReconnectWithNature.org.