Image by Diane Clarke

SCCF staff and dedicated volunteers have been closely monitoring the island’s bald eagle nests since early fall, and the 2025 nesting season is shaping up to be another encouraging one.

Across Sanibel and Captiva, multiple nests have successfully hatched, with adult eagles actively caring for their young. On Sanibel, four out of five known nests are confirmed to have hatched, with at least six eaglets currently being fed by their parents.

This includes the eagle pair at the locally popular “Dairy Queen nest” (pictured above), which has two eaglets currently.

“It can be difficult to confirm the exact number of chicks in the early weeks after hatching, as eaglets are small and tend to remain low in the nest,” said SCCF Shorebird Biologist Audrey Albrecht. “Once they grow bigger and more adventurous, they are easier to spot.”

Captiva has also seen strong results this season, with all three monitored nests successfully hatching a total of five chicks.

Unfortunately, the North Captiva nest was less successful and failed following a territorial dispute between other adult eagles.

“A few years ago, a nest in Iona re-nested late season and had chicks fledging close to July 4, nearly two months after eagle nesting season had officially ended in Florida,” Albrecht said.

Overall, Sanibel and Captiva remain on track for another successful bald eagle nesting season. SCCF will continue monitoring the nests and will share another update once the chicks have fledged.

Bald eagle nesting season runs from Oct. 1 to May 15.

Bald Eagles and Construction Activity

While bald eagles are no longer a listed endangered species, they are still protected by both state and federal eagle laws, including the Florida eagle rule, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.  

“Homeowners and contractors can prepare for the bald eagle nesting season and determine if their property is within the 660 foot buffer of an active bald eagle nest by viewing Audubon’s EagleWatch nest map,” Albrecht said.

Any disturbance to bald eagles should not take place within 660 feet of an active nest without a federal nest disturbance permit and the required monitors in place. Information about obtaining permits for work around bald eagle nests can be found here.

If you have any questions regarding eagles or want to share your eagle observations or photos, please email eagles@sccf.org.