SCDNR Low-Flying Aircraft in the Lowcountry During February Bald Eagle Surveys

During the month of February, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) will be conducting annual bald eagle nest surveys across the Lowcountry.

Officials said these surveys are a critical part of monitoring South Carolina’s bald eagle population and tracking the continued success of this conservation effort.

As part of this work, SCDNR biologists and pilots will be flying low-altitude aircraft - sometimes at treetop level - over coastal and inland areas from Charleston south to Savannah and west to Walterboro, primarily on weekdays.

Officials said these low passes are necessary to allow biologists to safely and accurately count eagle chicks in their nests.

To those on the ground, particularly near waterways, golf courses, and marshes, these flights may appear unusual, the officials said.

They stressed that these operations are carefully planned, FAA-coordinated, and conducted safely by experienced aircrews. At no time are these flights intended to pose a risk to people or property, they added.

The officials said these surveys represent one of South Carolina’s greatest wildlife conservation success stories.

They added that thanks to decades of collaborative conservation efforts, the bald eagle, once endangered, has rebounded and is now thriving across much of the state.