Bird News

Dallas park officials take steps to shield bald eagles from yippy dogs

Dallas bald eagles are back.

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The famed bald eagles of East Dallas have returned, and Dallas park officials are taking steps to make sure they can make procreational magic undisturbed.

According to a memo, within the last week Dallas' park department officials have observed an uptick in breeding activity with the bald eagles at Lake Highlands Park.

This is the eagle couple that has been coming back to this same area near White Rock, a location they've returned to nest and spawned baby eaglets since at least 2022. Their choice of nesting spot — at in a busy and highly visible area off Buckner Boulevard — is relatively rare. And given its proximity to cars, people, dogs, and general civilization, it is also potentially threatening to their success.

In 2022, their presence provoked such a flurry of onlookers and cellphone-wielding intruders that city and wildlife officials were forced to intervene to protect the birds and their nest. A second intervention was staged in 2024 by Dallas Park and Recreation, together with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Now in a proactive move, Dallas park maintenance and the conservation team have put up a fence to remind park visitors to keep their distance. Visitors are warned to not approach the nest any closer than the fence, as it is considered a federal offense to disturb the eagles.

Over the last four years, this particular pair has shown to be tolerant of normal park activities, and for now, those activities will be allowed to continue unless the pair show signs of being disturbed.

They say it is also critical that park users remember that dogs need to always be leashed. During previous nesting seasons, dogs running around off-leash was something that disturbed the eagles. The Park Rangers will be monitoring the area for dogs off-leash.

The Urban Biologist and Conservation Manager are actively monitoring the situation at Lake Highlands Park as well.

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in this economy?

This is the salary you need to live comfortably in Dallas in 2026

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

Single Dallasites need to make nearly $97,000 to live comfortably in the city, the report found.

A 2026 report analyzing how much it costs to live "in sustainable comfort" in the biggest U.S. cities has found Dallas residents need to make $1,040 more than they did last year to live comfortably in the city.

Dallas is tied with neighbors Garland and Irving at No. 72 in SmartAsset's national ranking of the cities with the highest salary needed to live comfortably in 2026, with single adult residents needing to make $96,970 a year to qualify as "financially stable." Last year, single Dallasites needed to make $95,930 to be considered financially stable.

Families with two working parents and two children need to make a household income of $214,490 to have a financially stable life in Dallas, the report found. That's only $749 higher than what families needed to make last year.

To determine the rankings, SmartAsset's analysts examined 100 of the largest U.S. cities and used the latest cost of living data – such as the costs for housing, food, transportation, and income taxes where applicable – from the MIT Living Wage Calculator for childless individuals and for two working adults with two children.

For the purpose of the study, the 50/30/20 budgeting strategy was used to determine "comfortable lifestyle" costs for both individuals and families: 50 percent of income to cover needs and living expenses, 30 percent for "wants," and 20 percent for savings or paying down debt.

Here's breakdown of a Dallas resident's comfortable lifestyle based on SmartAsset's findings:

$48,485 dedicated to needs and living expenses
$29,037 dedicated to wants
$19,358 dedicated to savings or debt repayment

This is SmartAsset's interpretation of a comfortable lifestyle for families of four:

$107,245 dedicated to needs and living expenses
$64,347 dedicated to wants
$42,898 dedicated to savings or debt repayment

SmartAsset said single individuals and families should compare the fluctuating local cost of living and their long-term goals to fully "understand the context" of their respective household incomes. But it's worth pointing out that a financially stable life in Dallas isn't quite attainable for many residents: The city had a median household income of $74,323 in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Elsewhere in North Texas, the report found that families in Frisco and McKinney "are closest to a comfortable salary."

"In Frisco, [Texas], the median household earns $145,444 – substantially higher than the national median of $83,730," the report's author wrote. "This figure also accounts for 63.1 percent of the $230,464 income a family of four in Frisco needs to live comfortably. In McKinney, TX, the $124,177 median household income accounts for 53.9 percent of the $230,464 needed."

The two suburbs also tied with Plano for the 29th highest salary needed nationally to live comfortably in 2026. Single adults living in these cities need to make $109,242 a year to live a financially stable life this year.

Fort Worth and Arlington tied for No. 68 overall, with single adults needing a $97,552 salary to live comfortably, and $217,235 for working families of four.

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