The Bald Eagle - Not Endangered Anymore
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The Rise and Fall of the Bald Eagle
After many years believing that the bald eagle wasn't far from extinction, this iconic American symbol has made a historic comeback. In 1940 the bald eagle was declared to be endangered, and to protect it from hunters the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection act was passed. DDT offered another threat to the survival of the bald eagle, and continued to feed the decline in numbers after the birds were no longer hunted. The bald eagle was included on the endangered species list in 1973, and the species hit a low point in 1963 with only 417 breeding pairs.The bald eagle has defied the predictions of extinction, raising their numbers dramatically over the past few decades. The more than 9,000 breeding pairs that exist today have made experts drop the species from the list of endangered species. But, the species will not be left entirely alone by the experts. The bald eagle's numbers will be monitored for a few years to make sure they do not begin to decline again. The monitoring will enable the research community to be aware of any changes in numbers, and for inclusion into the endangered species list if necessary.
The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act will continue to protect the bald eagle even as it stays off the endangered species list. In 1918 the Migratory Bird Treaty Act was passed, and this act still offers protection to the eagles. A few other countries, as well as the U.S., were obligated to protect the bald eagle and other migratory birds from being hunted thanks to the act. The act keeps the migrating birds safe from hunters as they cross into Canada or Mexico, and keeps the trade in their eggs, feathers and even their nests, illegal in all those countries.
Since DDT was banned in 1972, bald eagles have enjoyed further protection from decline. DDT was found to be a major factor in the downfall of the bald eagle, as well as many other animal species, as the toxic chemical found its way through the food chain. The chemical, used as a pesticide, found its way into bodies of water frequented by eagles. Bald eagles ate fish caught from the contaminated waters. DDT kept bald eagles from being able to create eggshells with enough calcium to keep them strong enough to support the embryos. The havoc wreaked by DDT made it difficult for the species to reproduce as mother eagles cracked their own thin eggs in an attempt to incubate them. Today, with DDT largely gone from natural bodies of water, bald eagles have every chance to reproduce and grow in numbers.
Bald Eagle Facts
-The Bald Eagle requires old-growth and mature stands of coniferous or hardwood trees for perching, roosting, and nesting.
-The Bald Eagle was one of the many species originally described by Linnaeus in his 18th century work, Systema Naturae.
- A 1984 National Wildlife Federation publication listed hunting, power line electrocution, collisions in flight and poisoning from eating ducks containing lead shot as the leading causes of eagle deaths.
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Bald Eagle Fact Sheet
Index. Return to Bald Eagle Monitoring Project. Return to Bird Studies Canada Main Page Bald Eagle Biology. MORPHOLOGY. Eagles are a member of the Accipitridae family
Bald Eagle Facts
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