Desert Nesting Bald Eagles

February 27, 2026

Submitted By

Alexander Greenwood/Laurie Nessel

GRIC Department of Environmental Quality Wildlife & Ecosystems Management Program.

Our understanding of the natural universe is based on the relationship and knowledge that our He:kiu O’otham developed through living on this land since time immemorial, a relationship that includes birds that inhabit our community to this day.

Certain birds are mentioned in our Creation Epic, are very sacred to us, and are the center of our cosmology, or way of relating to the natural universe. There are birds that have a special “spirit power” and are very important within our Himthag, or Way of Life. These birds include Ñui (Turkey Vulture); Ba’ag (Golden and Bald Eagles); Haupal (Red-tailed Hawk); and others, all of whom must never be harmed in any way. Each of these sacred birds’ remains intertwined within our ceremonies, songs, and religious practices. For example, the primary feathers of Eagles, Hawks and the Great Horned Owl are used in ceremony for curing, giving thanks and requesting rain. Several birds appear in our traditional stories as role models and teach us what we should and shouldn’t do under certain circumstances. In days gone by, Akimel O’otham and Pee Posh captured certain young raptors from the mountain ranges, raised them for their feathers, then released them back into the wild after a few years.

When the river ran free and cottonwoods towered along a riparian ribbon that cut across the landscape, it is conceivable that Bald Eagle (Ba’ag) pairs raised chicks every 2 - 6 miles along the entire length of the Gila River, drinking from its shores, plucking Gila chub, razorback sucker, and roundtail chub from the flowing waters to feed their chicks. Bald Eagle populations across the continent plummeted in the early 19th century from habitat loss, inadvertent poisoning and persecution. About 60 years ago, people started taking action to recover the species including banning the pesticide DDT that thinned eagle eggs. Additionally, new regulations enforced the protection of bald eagles and their nest sites; and intensive reintroductions began. Bald Eagles are adaptable, resilient, and respond well given basic requirements - food, nest and perch sites.

The northern populations have made a remarkable recovery. However, Bald Eagles are slower to recover in areas that suffered greater habitat loss such as along the Gila and lower Salt rivers. These desert-nesting eagles still benefit from human support. Through an enduring and critical partnership with the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), the GRIC Department of Environmental Quality works to assure that our eagles have the best chances at reproduction. Since 2022, AZGFD has outfitted Bald Eagle nestlings with radio transmitters to track their migration from the GRIC nests. Together, we have learned that several of our eagles complete seasonal migrations to summer territories in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and other northern states. Their inter-state travel emphasizes the necessity for inter-organizational collaboration and working beyond borders.

Since 2010, the GRIC DEQ Bald Eagle Nestwatch Program (BENP) has hired seasonal nest watchers to monitor and collect data from breeding Bald Eagles, and to educate the public. After eight years of nest failures due to storms and weak nest trees, the BENP erected a sturdy, artificial nest in the Community with the help of the Salt River Project and AZGFD. Bald eagles readily exploit human-made structures to nest and perch. They forage on non-native fish from reservoirs and fishing ponds and small mammals from irrigated fields. Over the past 15 years, the BENP has overseen the fledging of 18 Bald Eagle chicks.

However, successful fledging is only half the battle. Bald Eagles are vagrants until they mature in 4-6 years when they return to their homeland to find a mate and a suitable site to raise their young. As recently as last year, the Community hosted two Bald Eagle nests. This season, due to a series of nest failures, one pair moved their nest several meters to a cell tower outside the Community. With continued collaboration between the BENP, AZGFD, and the Community, including providing more artificial structures near suitable hunting areas, DEQ hopes to encourage new eagles to nest within the Community, perhaps in MAR5, or other areas that offer their basic needs.

The BENP is excited to welcome community members to visit the Bald Eagle nest site. The Bald Eagles hatched their first of two chicks on February 2nd. Please contact DEQ Wildlife Biologist Alexander Greenwood at 520-562-2767 to request a tour to learn about their natural history and possibly observe the parents feed the chick. All ages welcome. Young ones may need adult supervision. Additionally, DEQ staff will be hosting a clean-up event at the nest site on March 21st, 2026. We need your help to clean up and improve the quality of the habitat to benefit the eagles and the many other types of wildlife that reside here. 

We want to thank Robert Johnson, Language Specialist, HHC Language Program, for contributing invaluable historical knowledge on the cultural significance of birds to the Akimel O’otham and Pee Posh for this article.