AUBURN, Ala. — Federal wildlife officials are assessing the removal of a sea eagle nest at the site of a planned subdivision in the eastern Alabama city of Auburn, following protests from some local residents, the agency announced Tuesday.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents, who issued a permit to the subdivision developer to remove the nest, are reviewing the removal at the request of city officials to ensure the developer has complied with the terms of the permit, the agency said.
The tree housing the nest was cut down over the weekend, upsetting local residents who were hoping to stop the nest’s removal.
“We understand the deep emotional bond that many residents have with these birds and strive to clarify the situation,” Rafael Gonzales, acting assistant regional director of migratory birds and scientific applications for the Southeast region, said in a statement.
The federal agency has said bald eagles are the national symbol was once on the brink of extinctionhave grown in recent years to more than 71,400 breeding pairs and an estimated 316,700 individual birds in 2021, after decades of habitat destruction, illegal shooting and the impact of the since-banned insecticide DDT.
Bald eagles were removed from the endangered species list in August 2007 because their populations recovered sufficiently, and their population has continued to grow in the years since, the report says.
Nevertheless, bald eagle nests cannot be disturbed without a federal permit.
The Fish and Wildlife Service said they issued the permit after determining that removing the nest would not negatively impact the overall eagle population. The permit holder was responsible for confirming that the nest contained no eggs or young before taking it down, the agency said.
The nest was removed Friday, the agency said. The move upset local residents who hoped to stop the removal of the nest, which they said had been home to a pair of bald eagles for several years.
‘They are smart and beautiful. They deserve to be protected,” said neighbor Jason Haynie told WRBL. The station published photos of the eagles circling above the area where their nest used to be.
Developer Hughston Homes, the company, granted the federal permit to remove the nest, said in a statement to the WSFA that it had followed Fish and Wildlife Service guidelines in its removal. The developer said he believed the “nest in question is likely an alternative nest” for the eagles.
“Please know that this decision has been made with respect for the environment and the well-being of these beautiful birds,” the developer added.
The city of Auburn issued a statement over the weekend saying city council members were disappointed with the removal. City officials had hoped to meet with the developer this week to discuss options for preserving the nest, the statement said.
Bald eagle nests are typically about 5 feet in diameter and sometimes larger, weighing up to two tons, and mating pairs may use the same nest year after year, bird experts say.
Auburn is home to Auburn University. The tiger is the school’s mascot, although the university’s rallying cry is “War Eagle.”