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American bald eagle sightings in Tennessee are rare, but the national bird has been seen recently in Franklin County.

Sightings of bald eagles have been recorded around Tims Ford Lake, and a matching pair has been seen frequenting their nest in the outskirts of Winchester.

In addition, a made-to-scale replica of a bald-eagle nest is on display in the Tims Ford State Park Nature Center.

The size and distribution of the bald eagle population in Tennessee, before the continent-wide population crash from the 1950s to the mid-1970s, is unknown, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency website.

There were no known successful bald-eagle nests found in the state between 1961 and 1983.

However, efforts coordinated by the TWRA to restore Tennessee’s eagle population began in 1980 and continued until 2003, and young eagles were “hacked,” a form of reintroduction, at several locations in the state.

The first bald-eagle nest in Tennessee after these efforts began was discovered near Dover, about 70 miles northwest of Nashville on the Cumberland River, in the spring of 1983.

Now, there is an estimated 175 nesting pairs of bald eagles in Tennessee, and most of these birds remain in the state year-round. Individuals from more northern breeding populations migrate to Tennessee for the winter, arriving in late October, and peak numbers of 300 to 500 individuals occur in late January to mid-February.

Since 1782, the bald eagle has been the national bird of the United States.

Founding members of Congress believed the bird to be synonymous with courage, strength and bravery. Today, eagles are viewed as a symbolic representation of freedom.

The American bald eagle is a protected species under the 1940 National Emblem Act, making it unlawful to kill or harm them. Not only does this act protect the birds themselves, but it also includes their eggs, young, nests and even the trees in which the birds have built their nests.

The eagles are also protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Lacey Act. These protections became important 60 to 75 years ago when the species began to dwindle.

It is believed the decline in bald-eagle numbers was a direct result of the use of commercial pesticides such as DDT, pollution, lead poisoning and people killing them for preying on their livestock.

The conservation work around the bald eagle has been quite successful, and in 2007, the species was removed from the threatened and endangered species list.

Bald eagles can have a lifespan of 25 to 30 years. The oldest bald eagle ever recorded in the United States was 38-years old. It had been banded as a hatchling through a conservation program, so his age was positively confirmed.

Bald eagles mate for life and reach adulthood at the age of five.

They tend to select large white pine trees or other tall tree varieties to build their nests. Trees that are near bodies of water are preferred, and it is believed that the eagles spotted in and around Franklin County frequent the area because of the vast Tims Ford Lake.

Fish are the bird’s main and preferred source of food, but they will scavenge for other food sources. The birds can fly hundreds of miles in just one day alone so those who see them should consider themselves lucky to have had that opportunity.