Bald eagle pair, Mr. President and LOTUS, rebuild a nest at U.S. National Arboretum in D.C., a sign experts say shows the eagles are getting ready to mate.
If LOTUS does end up laying eggs, they would be incubated for roughly 35 days before eaglets hatch. Based on LOTUS’s pattern of past egg-laying, Greeley said, she expects her to lay eggs in mid- to late-February.At the arboretum, wildlife biologists are excited that bald eagles have returned there with such regularity. When Mr. President and the First Lady originally showed up in 2014, it was the first time there’d been a pair of bald eagles spotted nesting at the 400-plus acre site since 1947.
Mr. President and his first partner successfully hatched seven chicks there before she moved on. Usually, bald eagles breed for life, but if there’s a hiccup, they will find a new partner, experts say.Now 6 years old, LOTUS is quite a bit younger than, experts said. He’s likely at least 13. But “eagle eyes” don’t pay much attention to age, Greeley said. Last year, LOTUS and Mr. President successfully hatched two eggs — DC8 and DC9. But DC8 died after problems hatching. DC9 was fine.
“I’m a glass half full person,” she said, “and I’m sure he’s hanging out with other juveniles around here.” The pair’s nest is one of 19 active bald eagle nests in the D.C. region, experts said, and it shows how much the species’ population has made a comeback. In the 1960s, there were only 400 breeding pairs left in the Lower 48 states. But bans on pesticides and the passage of the Endangered Species Act in the 1970s helped stop their decline, according to Dan Rauch, a D.C. wildlife biologist.
Bald eagles were also helped by efforts to improve habitat, cleaner air and water initiatives, and protections in areas where they live. Adaptation has helped, too. They were removed from the endangered species list in 2007. The country’s national bird, they remain protected under several federal laws.
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