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Home > Archive > Jul 12, 2007

Bald Eagles Make Comeback
By for the Dixie Weekly
On June 28, the US Fish and Wildlife Service removed the Bald Eagle from the Endangered Species list just in time for this year’s Independence Day celebration.  From a low of 417 nesting pairs in 1963, a successful and intense recovery program has raised their numbers to as many as 9,700 nesting pairs.
The successful recovery is a result of federal protection from harm, legislation regarding harmful chemicals, and recovery and reintroduction programs.
Without the protection of the Endangered Species status, they will still be protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle act.  But, scientists are hopeful that the Bald Eagle recovery is strong enough to withstand natural and human pressure without added protection. 
Our history with the Bald Eagle has been rocky from the start. To begin, did you know that the Bald Eagle had to compete with the Turkey to become our national symbol? It’s true! Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin were chosen to create the new nation’s symbol in 1776.
They chose “Lady Liberty”, but Congress wanted an animal for a symbol. Being at war, they wanted something that looked fierce. They initially considered the Golden Eagle, but those are also found in England, so they settled on the Bald Eagle, which can only be seen in North America.
The decision caused a stir with many who didn’t like the Eagle. In fact one congressman cited the Eagle’s “bad moral character” as a reason against choosing this symbol.
Ben Franklin argued very strongly in favor of the turkey, describing it as a little vain and silly, but also very brave.  It also doesn’t look quite as fierce as an Eagle, so consequently the Bald Eagle remained the symbol of the new country.
These mixed feelings about the Bald Eagle were foreshadowing the future of the birds in North America. While some people viewed the bird as majestic, others viewed it as a nuisance, and some disliked it for its predatory nature. Still others may have loved it too much.
By the 1940s, shooting, poisoning (accidental and intentional), capturing for pets, collection for specimens, and other activities had nearly wiped out our National symbol. To save the bird from extinction, Congress enacted the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
Today, the act prohibits any killing, moving, transporting, or collection of Bald or Golden Eagles, dead or alive, including their eggs and nests.  The penalty may be as much as $5,000, and/or a year in prison. If the guilty party was using public grazing lands, the permit will be revoked.
This act of Congress might have been enough to recover the populations of Eagles, if DDT hadn’t become a common pesticide after World War II.  DDT bio-accumulated in animals (was found in the body at higher and higher concentrations) as it went up the food chain from insects to fish to Eagles and other predatory birds.
By the time DDT made it to the top of the food chain, the concentrations of the chemical in Eagles blocked their ability to utilize calcium properly. As a result they were laying eggs with very thin shells, which were then broken when incubated.
Over a few decades of use, this inability to reproduce decimated the populations of Eagles, and other predatory birds, across the continent.  In 1972, DDT was banned from use in the United States. However, it still took several years to get the chemical out of the ecosystem.
In 1967, the Bald Eagle was placed under the protection of what was to become the Endangered Species Act. The act gave federal and state governments the power to create recovery plans to save the Bald Eagle from extinction.
As part of the recovery plan, biologists would help rear and reintroduce Bald Eagles back into their native habitat. One of the most successful reintroduction and recovery programs was in Patuxent, Md., on the Chesapeake Bay.
Through hand-rearing and reintroduction, this recovery program brought the population there from 32 pairs in 1977 to 151 pairs (and 172 fledglings) by 1993.  Thanks to enormous efforts like these throughout our country, Bald Eagles can be found across North America again.
Now that you have the chance to see Bald Eagles, here is some information you might want to know. The largest populations of Bald Eagles are in the northwestern United States.  This is due in part to the large salmon populations there – Bald Eagles are predominantly fish eaters.
However, they will sometimes eat other prey items (up to 4 lbs) when the opportunity arises, and are known to scavenge dead animals as well. Eagles see with color vision and a sharpness that is four times greater than humans. From an altitude of 10,000 feet, an Eagle could spot prey over an area of three square miles of open country.
Bald Eagles are about 3 feet in length, with a wingspan of 6 to 8 1/2 feet, and weigh up to 15 pounds. Young Bald Eagles do not have the coloring of adults, with the white head and tail. In fact, many immature Bald Eagles look very similar to Golden Eagles.
Like many birds, most Eagles migrate south in the fall and north in the spring. As northern lakes freeze over, they usually migrate to areas of open water, where food can be found. Bald Eagles frequently migrate to southern Utah in the winter; however, they are not commonly seen here in the summer.
According to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah has one of the largest wintering populations of Bald Eagles in the country. Of the Eagles that occur west of the Rocky Mountains, 25 to 30 percent spend their winters in Utah. While in Utah, they often locate themselves near open water with access to fish. However, roadkill is a large portion of their diet.  Most Bald Eagles return to their summer homes north of Utah, as far away as the Northern Territories of Canada.  However, Utah is home for some nesting Bald Eagles as well. These pairs typically return to the same nest year after year. They add to the nest each year.  As a result some nests can be 5 to 6 feet tall!
Biologists are tracking the nesting success of Bald Eagles that nest in Utah. The recovery goal for Utah was 10 successfully nesting pairs of Eagles. Four nests have recently been found (1 in 2004 and 3 in 2005), and are being closely studied to determine the success of these nesting pairs.
It is not common for Bald Eagles to nest in southern Utah. However, it may not be unheard of. Biologists are still learning about the Bald Eagles that nest in Utah.  For more information regarding Bald Eagles, their populations in the nation and the state, and their protection status, visit www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/issues/BaldEagle, or wildlife.utah.gov.

This article was written by Dr. Nicole Frey, a Utah State University extension specialist who teaches biology at SUU. She can be reached at (435) 586-1924 or frey@suu.edu.

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