Stay in the know about wildlife, water quality, and ecosystems on Sanibel and Captiva Islands and in Southwest Florida
Record-Breaking Nesting Season for Bald Eagles
Young eagle’s first flight, photo by Cheri Hollis
Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) nesting season runs from Oct. 1 through May 15 in Florida, though some nests may remain active longer if they still have young in the nest that have not yet fledged.
Following a strong start, Sanibel and Captiva experienced another highly successful nesting season with a total of 13 eaglets fledged, the highest count on record.
On Sanibel, 4 out of 5 nests were successful, each producing 2 healthy young eaglets. On Captiva, all 3 nests were successful, and a total of 5 eaglets fledged.
For those following along with the Captiva eagle cam, “Quinn,” the eaglet, fledged and then moved over to another Captiva nest to visit with younger friends and show off its flight skills as they learned their own.
Unfortunately, the nest on North Captiva did not fare as well, having failed after a territorial fight. Hopefully, they will be successful next season.
“Overall, it was a great year for the island’s bald eagles, and we look forward to working with our amazing volunteers and partners this fall for the 2026-27 nesting season,” said SCCF Shorebird Biologist Audrey Albrecht.