Bald eagles are making a comeback in Tennessee and Georgia.
The national symbol had all but disappeared 30 years ago, and hadn’t been seen nesting in Tennessee for 22 years until a pair took up residence at Reelfoot Lake in 1983.
Now 130 to 140 nesting pairs live along the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers and near large lakes such as Reelfoot, state ornithologist Scott Somershoe said.
“It’s a miraculous recovery. They were nearly extinct and now there’s nearly 10,000 nests,” he said.
Four eagle couples nest along the river in the Chattanooga area, he added.