Another bald eagle has made the North Texas area its home.
Plano officials and residents have taken note of a male bald eagle that has been living in Plano’s Oak Point Nature Preserve. This rare bird, recognized as the nation’s symbol, has been spotted in the area since last year.
Bald eagles can typically be found across the continental United States, Mexico, and Canada. Activities such as trapping, shooting, and poisoning have prompted officials to place the bird under the protection of the Endangered Species Act in 1978, and its population has since begun recovering through multiple programs since 1980, according to The National Park Service.
Plano Parks and Recreation said in a social media post last month that the eagle had already been residing in the park for a few weeks. Images posted by the department show the bird alighting atop a powerline pole, while a commenter provided photos of what appears to be the same bird perched on a branch and the ground.
Rick Morrow, a local who takes his dog on daily walks in the park, said he was “in awe” when he saw the creature.
“I didn’t believe it at first. But then another guy was standing about 20 feet away from us and said, ‘That’s an eagle,'” said Morrow, according to CBS News.
Daniel Miranda, a natural resources specialist for Plano, told CBS News that he theorized that the bird is claiming territory in the area and that these sightings are a testament to what the park offers.
“When you have a top predator like that, it’s because he finds the resources he needs here. And that can only come with the health of the park,” said Miranda, according to CBS News.
Miranda hopes the bird will find a mate, saying it would be like “icing on the cake.”
This is not the only occurrence of the national bird making a home in North Texas. Locals hoped that a pair of bald eagles named Nick and Nora, who had first settled near White Rock Lake in the fall of 2021, would nest last year, as previously reported by The Dallas Express, but so far, this has not occurred.
