High and mighty: A bald eagle is spotted in New York’s Central Park

February 2, 2022

Eagle-eyed bird watchers are flocking to Central Park, hoping to get a glimpse of the newest celebrity to visit Manhattan, reports the local ABC News affiliate.

A bald eagle with a six-foot wingspan was spotted on Monday, January 31, at about 7:30 a.m. on the southeast side of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in Central Park.

David Barrett of Twitter’s Manhattan Bird Alert (@BirdCentralPark) says there are now more than 400 pairs nesting in New York State. He said while eagles to fly over Central Park from time to time, this eagle–now nicknamed Rover—seems to be sticking around.

“This bald eagle—nicknamed Rover—came to Brooklyn over the last couple years and is now in Central Park. We know who it is and its history because we have a tag on it,” Barrett said. “Rover grew up in Connecticut in 2018 then moved to Brooklyn a couple of years ago and became a big favorite of birders there.”

Barrett calls the reservoir on 90th Street a kind of cafeteria as eagles like to eat smaller birds and fish.

Rover has been around for at least a couple weeks and hope is soaring that he will stay.

Research contact: @ABCNewsLive