Bald Eagle Chick Found in New Area

A bald eagle chick has been spotted on a Mississippi barrier island, the likely product of efforts to reintroduce the national symbol to the area.

Park rangers say it could be the first chick to hatch on one of the islands in more than 40 years. Nesting bald eagles have not been seen on Mississippi’s barrier islands since 1948.

The birds faced extinction in the 1970s because DDT and other pesticides weakened eggs and prevented them from hatching.

Since 1986, about 60 birds have been released on Horn Island in an effort to re-establish them on the coast. The 7-week-old chick was found by rangers last week.