Florida’s bald eagle nesting season is officially underway.

The state defines the nesting season as Oct. 1 through May 15, and many pairs begin gathering sticks or repairing old nests in late September and early October.

That makes this the time of year when residents may suddenly notice more eagle activity around tall pines, cypress trees, mangroves, transmission structures and other elevated sites near water.

Florida bald eagles often reuse the same nesting territory year after year.

Nests can become very large as pairs add material over multiple seasons, and adults may become more territorial once nesting activity begins.

From a distance, adult bald eagles are easy to recognize by the white head and tail, dark brown body and large yellow bill.

Young eagles can be much harder to identify because they remain mottled brown for several years before developing the classic adult plumage.

If you find an active nest, the most important rule is distance.

Do not approach the nest tree, fly a drone close to the nest, climb nearby trees or repeatedly disturb the birds for photographs.

Land clearing, construction and other activities near an active nest may fall under federal bald eagle protection rules, so property owners and contractors should check current guidance before working close to a nest.

Florida residents can also help researchers by reporting a new or previously undocumented nest location through the state’s eagle-monitoring partners.

If an eagle is injured or dead, wildlife authorities and licensed rehabilitators should be contacted rather than attempting to handle the bird.

The seasonal takeaway: October is when eagle nesting activity starts becoming visible again across Florida, so watch the treetops — and give nesting pairs room to do their work.