Bald Eaglets Hatch in Chicago After 100 Years

The bald eagle, the national bird of the United States, suffered severe population declines during the second half of the twentieth century, driven primarily by habitat destruction and pesticide contamination of food sources. Decades of regulatory protection allowed the species to recover dramatically, and it was removed from the United States endangered species list in 2007. While sightings of bald eagles around Chicago have grown common — the park district counted a dozen of the raptors in the restored wetlands of Big Marsh Park during a single day in 2018 — actual breeding within city limits has remained elusive. Stephen Bell, who manages Park 597, said staff have found no record of a successful eaglet hatching in Chicago for over a century.

The nest's location reflects a deliberate ecological revival. Until 2019, Park 597 housed a city water treatment plant, and the surrounding land bore the scars of heavy industrial use. After the park district acquired the property, restoration teams improved the soil, replanted native vegetation, and created habitat for amphibians and reptiles. Those changes attracted muskrats, mice and deer — and, eventually, eagles drawn by the abundance of prey. For conservationists, the eaglets signal that even severely degraded urban land can support apex predators when given sustained support. Pat Pearson credited the collaboration between Chicago and its park district, saying neither could have achieved the transformation alone. The hatchlings are expected to remain in the nest for several more weeks before attempting their first flights.