The NYC Parks Department recently shared that America’s bird was spotted amid the Pine Grove at Forest Park near Richmond Hill.
Parks Dept. staff took the opportunity to poke fun at the rare sighting by tweeting “POV: You’re a squirrel in imminent danger” alongside photos of the bird casting a glaring look at the photographer from a branch above.
“Bald eagles can be spotted throughout the city, especially in the winter months,” wrote NYC Parks on X last week. “While they prefer a fish diet, they’ve been known to hunt for small mammals as well.”
The bald eagle population has made a comeback across the state in recent decades. In 2017, there were over 400 known bald eagle nests across the state, mostly on public land. And while sightings of bald eagles are much more common up north along the Hudson Valley, city sightings of the eagle, with a wingspan that can reach over seven feet, are more possible now.
Last year, wildlife experts confirmed that there are at least four bald eagles in the city—after there being none for about a century. They were first spotted on Staten Island. But more recently, officials said that the species can also be seen at Manhattan’s Inwood Hill Park.
