In recent years, a pair of bald eagles has nested high in the towering trees along the Maumee River at New Rochester Park, where the river’s abundant fish and tall trees make an ideal home for eagle families. During nesting season, they can often be seen soaring overhead, hunting along the river, or perched in branches caring for their young, and they are most visible from early spring through early summer. Once nearly extinct in Ohio by the late 1970s, bald eagles made a remarkable comeback through decades of conservation, cleaner waterways, protected habitat, legal protections, habitat restoration, Ohio Department of Natural Resources nest monitoring, and strong public support. By 1979 Ohio had 4 known nesting pairs, by 2020 it had over 700 active nests, and by 2024 it had more than 900 nesting pairs statewide. Adult bald eagles have dark brown bodies, bright yellow beaks and feet, and white heads and tails that usually appear at about age four, while juveniles are brown with mottled patterns. Females are larger than males, sometimes weighing up to 12 pounds, and mated pairs typically bond for life, performing aerial courtship displays before returning to the same nest each year and rebuilding nests that can reach 6 feet across and 4 feet deep. Their presence in Paulding County reflects a healthy ecosystem and one of Ohio’s greatest conservation successes.