STATEN ISLAND — The first bald eagles to nest in New York City in 100 years have failed to breed.
The birds, named Vito and Linda, nested on Staten Island's south shore earlier in April.
But their attempts to procreate were unsuccessful, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Seth Wollney, the birder who first spotted the nest, told DNAinfo New York at the time he couldn't see the eggs but always saw one bird on the nest and it sat down slowly every time, which would happen if eggs were inside.
But during recent visits to the site, workers from the DEC reported that they no longer spotted the adults at the nest and couldn't see any signs of young birds inside, a spokesman for the agency said.
Aside from Vito and Linda, another pair of bald eagles appeared to nest-building in the borough in February but did not stay to breed, the Audubon Society said.
An estimated 173 breeding pairs of eagles live in the New York state. In the winter, the population grows when birds from Canada and Alaska fly to find areas with open waters and ample fish.
