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Battle over bald eagle's roost on Long Island

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Published  March 25, 2022 6:52pm EDT
Suffolk County
FOX 5 NY

Bald Eagles nesting on Long Island

There's a battle brewing on Long Island as bird enthusiasts are rallying for a pair of Bald Eagles that have taken up residence in Centerport. Enthusiasts say they're worried new construction could jeopardize the nest.

NEW YORK - A battle is brewing on Long Island as birth enthusiasts rally to protect a pair of bald eagles that have taken up residence in Centerport from new construction that could jeopardize their nest. 

For the enthusiasts who found a passion for photographing the picturesque birds in their natural habitat, they’re fighting to keep their nest safe and their source of food abundant. 

"We need to lift the eagles up and give them habitat not take it away," said Rob Schwartz, who founded the Bald Eagles of Centerport Facebook group.

Schwartz believes the resident eagles that have fledged ten eaglets since they made their home in Centerport five years ago, and have stayed because of the resources and location. 

Now, he says a construction project under review with the Town of Huntington zoning board is threatening their habitat. And he claims the town is also threatening their health by closing the gates on a nearby dam making it difficult for fish to reach the area where the birds hunt. 

"To allow the town to do what they’re doing and drive the eagles out worries me," he said. 

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But for their part - the town says they’ve been transparent and haven’t done anything wrong and the tidal gates automatically open and close with the tide.

"The fact that the bald eagles are not going to eat enough - they’re not pets," said Fred Uvena with the Town of Huntington. "They’re wildlife."

Moreover, the construction of homes near the nest falls on legal lots. The zoning board isn’t signing off on the homes themselves, but an application for a retaining wall submitted by the builder.

"The appropriate process is for us to act on the application, refer it to the DEC, and ask them to review and make any necessary changes," said Anthony Aloisio with the Town of Huntington. 

For their part, the Department of Environmental Conservation that regulates protected species is aware of the housing project that may potentially be within the 660-foot window of the eagles. They’re working with the town to determine what, if any, impacts the project could have on the nest to ensure the safety of the pair.