Bald Eagles, From the Brink of Extinction
Bald Eagles are magnificent creatures and watching them in their natural habitat is a pleasure. As a bald eagle launches into flight, its long, powerful, deliberate strides make it appear to soar in slow motion. Its rarely loses its focus on its victim once it has one in sight because it is a fierce bird of prey, a raptor, akin to the hawk, the falcon and the owl. Partially because the bald eagle is the symbol of America and partially because, the bald eagle has been studied perhaps more than any other bird in history.
Did you know that in the late 18th century, estimates of the continental US bald eagle population were upward of 50,000 breeding pairs? In the 1960's that number dwindled to around 420 pairs making extinction almost a reality. As a concerned nation, America studied where and how the animal lives. We began to understand what and who its natural predators are and we determined why they declined in large numbers in such a short period. The analyses ultimately lead to listing the bald eagle in the US Endangered Species Act in the spring of 1978. The Act provided public funds and guidance on how to reintroduce the animal and give them a chance to survive. By 2005, estimates for bald eagle population in the lower 48 states showed a dramatic rebound to slightly more than 5000 pairs. Add that to the nearly 17,000 pairs in Alaska and 10,000 pairs in Western Canada, and we see a thriving species. United States law has protected the bald eagle since 1940 and always will. However, in 1999, the US Fish and Wildlife Service began the process of removing the bald eagle from the endangered species list due to increasing numbers.
But how did the bald eagle go from the brink of extinction to the steadily growing numbers of today? Through education, compassion and action. Just after World War II, the widespread use of harmful chemicals such as DDT caused tremendous environmental damage. The pesticides were carried by rainwater into lakes and tributaries, absorbed by the plant life, ingested by the fish and other prey of the eagle. By following the trail of contamination, DDT, lead and other substances were linked to the declining numbers in several species including the bald eagle. Bird's reproductive systems were shutting down, as eggs were unable to hatch due to the contamination and a lack of nutrition. DDT was accumulating in the fatty tissue of adult female eagles virtually eliminating the calcium required for healthy eggshell formation. For the bald eagle, times were very lean indeed.
Another major cause in the decline in the number of bald eagles from the late 1700's to the late 1960's was perhaps far worse than chemical contamination. This cause was the human factor. Deforestation of their wintering and breeding nesting areas, urban development of the coastline, lakes and riverfronts and simply hunting bald eagles for sport left the eagles constantly on the move. Because bald eagles return home to breed, often only a hundred miles or so from where they were hatched, removing forests where large numbers of these birds first took flight no doubt caused many to abandon breeding at all.
Yet, beginning in the 1970's and continuing until now, federal, university and privately funded recovery operations have been succeeding in returning the bald eagle to its former glory days. More than $1 million US per year for more than a decade in public and private contributions went toward the recovery of the bald eagle. By the early 1990's things were beginning to pay off. How?
The US Wildlife Service established five major bald eagle recovery regions in the early 1980's. The Chesapeake Recovery Region encompasses the Virginia east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Delaware, Maryland, the eastern half of Pennsylvania, the panhandle of West Virginia, and the southern two-thirds of New Jersey. The Pacific Region includes Idaho, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Wyoming. The Southeastern region includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and eastern Texas. The Southwestern region boasts Oklahoma and Texas west of the 100th meridian, New Mexico, Arizona, and the area of California bordering the Lower Colorado River. Finally, the Northern States include parts of 25 northern states from the Dakotas to New England. In every region, the reintroduction of the bald eagle has been a huge success with an average of 8 percent increase in population per year effectively doubling the population every 7 to 8 years for the last 30 years.
Yes, the recovery of the bald eagle has truly been remarkable. Through new laws, public awareness, the establishing of additional national preserves and the slow, steady flight of time, the bald eagle – an American symbol and treasure – is soon to be protected, but no longer endangered. What a testament to the efforts of the citizens of North America, the only home of the mighty Bald Eagle.
