Bird center to host event on bald eagles in Oakland

The Audubon Center for Birds of Prey is hosting Saving Oakland’s Eaglets Thursday, June 26, in Oakland to raise awareness on the efforts made to save the eagles. 

At the event, members of the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey and the center’s EagleWatch program will tell stories about recent rescues made in Oakland.

According to the bird center’s website, the center was opened in 1979. Since then, it has become the main site for Audubon education programs and offices nationally, in addition to releasing over 700 rehabilitated raptors back to the wild. 

Eagles are in danger because of habitat loss, which leads to territory fights, competition for resources and more interaction with the human world. 

In 1992, the Audubon EagleWatch Program started in Central Florida with 22 volunteers. It now is one of Audubon Florida's premier community science programs, with volunteers ready to monitor and protect bald eagle nests in Florida. 

The statewide program works to protect around 40% of the state’s nesting pairs. The volunteers collect information on bald eagle nesting, like threats, active nesting locations and disturbances, which then are used to help conservation efforts. 

In April, EagleWatch volunteers noticed five eaglets hatching between two nests in Oakland. Out of the five, three died due to improper waste disposal, which in turn, tangled them to death. Two eaglets now are at the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey going through rehabilitation. 

Wei-Shen Chin, a renowned wildlife photographer and a volunteer watcher will attend the event and walk through a presentation where he will explain what the rescues were like. 

The event will happen from 6:30 to 8 p.m at the Healthy West Orange Arts & Heritage Center.