Bald eagles are present in Arizona, thriving in the state as both year-round residents and wintering visitors. Arizona is home to a distinctive desert-nesting population, a unique adaptation. This presence highlights the diverse ecosystems within the state that support these raptors.
Their Arizona Habitats
Bald eagles in Arizona inhabit areas near large bodies of water, including rivers, creeks, and lakes, which provide essential foraging grounds. These birds are found throughout central Arizona, with smaller populations also observed in the western, eastern, and northeastern regions of the state. The abundance of fish in these aquatic environments is a primary factor in their habitat selection.
Specific river systems, such as the Salt River and Verde River in central Arizona, are important for the state’s resident desert-nesting bald eagles. Wintering bald eagles frequently utilize lakes and rivers along the Mogollon Rim and throughout the White Mountains. Notable wintering locations include Mormon Lake, Upper and Lower Lake Mary, and San Carlos Reservoir, where concentrations of eagles are observed.
Eagles establish their nests within a mile of a water source, for convenient access to food. Nest sites vary, including cliff edges, rock pinnacles, and trees such as cottonwoods, junipers, pinyon pines, sycamores, willows, and ponderosa pines. The adaptability of Arizona’s bald eagles is further demonstrated by the discovery of new breeding areas in diverse environments, ranging from higher elevation ponderosa pine forests to urban settings within the Phoenix metropolitan area, and even in Sonoran desert habitats. An active nest was documented within a saguaro cactus in 2020, an unusual nesting substrate.
Nesting and Population Trends
Arizona hosts a unique population of bald eagles that have adapted to nesting in desert environments, unlike typical forested or coastal sites. This specialized adaptation allows them to thrive along the state’s major waterways. The nesting season for these eagles commences in December with courtship, followed by nest building or augmentation in January. Eggs are laid in February, with incubation periods lasting about 65 days.
Hatching occurs from late February to early March, and the young eaglets fledge by June, before the intense summer heat. The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) monitors these nesting activities, and recent data indicates a growing population. In 2024, a record 90 adult pairs were reported occupying breeding areas across the state, an increase from 82 pairs in 2023.
The number of known bald eagle breeding areas in Arizona has grown substantially, increasing from 2 in 1970 to 94 by 2022. This expansion includes the establishment of 38 new breeding areas in the last decade alone, a positive population trend. The 2024 breeding season saw 119 eggs laid, resulting in 96 hatchlings and 77 fledglings. This consistent increase demonstrates the resilience of the Arizona bald eagle population.
Protecting Arizona’s Eagles
Conservation efforts for bald eagles in Arizona have been ongoing, contributing to their recovery. While the bald eagle was delisted from the federal Endangered Species Act nationwide in 2007, and in Arizona in 2011, it remains protected under federal laws such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. State statutes also protect all native wildlife, including bald eagles.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), in collaboration with the Southwestern Bald Eagle Management Committee, implements management programs. These programs involve annual aerial and ground surveys of known breeding areas to monitor nest occupancy and productivity. The Bald Eagle Nestwatch Program, a key component, involves volunteers and contractors who monitor nesting sites, collect data, and minimize human disturbance.
These nestwatchers establish seasonal closures around nesting areas, running from December 1 to June 30, to safeguard breeding eagles from human interference. This approach prevents disturbances that could lead to nest abandonment. The continued growth of the bald eagle population in Arizona, with a record 104 documented breeding areas in 2024, is attributed to these conservation and management strategies.