A New Hampshire eagle milestone, and the monitoring behind it

A century of bald eagle chicks fledged in one New Hampshire breeding season is a conservation milestone with a long backstory. NH Audubon counted 100 fledglings across 64 nests in 2026—the first triple-digit statewide total since its tracking began in 1989. The 2025 count was 85.

The recovery followed years of monitoring after DDT contamination pushed eagles near extinction by weakening eggshells. The species was removed from New Hampshire’s endangered list in 2017, but observation continues: this year researchers banded 20 chicks at 10 nests and collected samples for testing, while disturbance and rodenticides remain concerns.

NorthEast News explains what this year’s count measures and why ongoing monitoring still matters: https://www.northenews.com/article.html?slug=new-hampshire-bald-eagle-fledglings-record

NorthEast News is an independent regional publication focused on New Hampshire and New England.