The United States started the trend for national birds when
it made the
Bald
Eagle its avian representative over 200 years ago. In 1789 George
Washington became our Nation's first President and the American Bald Eagle
became our Country's official bird.
President John F. Kennedy later wrote: "The Founding Fathers made an
appropriate choice when they selected the Bald Eagle as the emblem of the
nation. The fierce beauty and proud independence of this great bird aptly
symbolizes the strength and freedom of America."
When America adopted the bald eagle as the national symbol,
the country may have had as many as 100,000 nesting eagles. The first
major decline of the species probably began in the mid to late 1800’s,
coinciding with the decline of waterfowl, shorebirds, and other prey.
Although they primarily eat fish and carrion, bald eagles
used to be considered marauders that preyed on chickens and
domestic livestock. Consequently, the large raptors were shot in an
effort to eliminate a perceived threat. Coupled with the loss of nesting
habitat, bald eagle populations declined.
In 1940, noting that the species was “threatened with
extinction,” Congress passed the Bald Eagle Protection Act, which
prohibited killing, selling, or possessing the species. A 1962 amendment
added the golden eagle, and the law became the Bald and Golden Eagle
Protection Act.
Shortly after World War II, DDT was hailed as a new
pesticide to control mosquitoes and other insects. However, DDT and its
residues washed into nearby waterways, where aquatic plants and fish
absorbed it. Bald eagles, in turn, were poisoned with DDT when they ate
the contaminated fish. The chemical interfered with the ability of the
birds to produce strong eggshells. As a result, their eggs had shells so
thin that they often broke during incubation or otherwise failed to
hatch. DDT also affected other species such as peregrine falcons and
brown pelicans.
By 1963, with only 487 nesting pairs of bald eagles
remaining, the species was in danger of extinction. In addition to the adverse effects of DDT, some bald
eagles have died from lead poisoning after feeding on waterfowl
containing lead shot, either as a result of hunting or from inadvertent
ingestion.
Today,
there are almost 10,000 nesting pairs of bald eagles in the contiguous
United States. Bald eagles have staged a remarkable population rebound
and have recovered to the point that they no longer need the protection
of the Endangered Species Act.
For more information about Bald Eagles, visit
All About Birds- the Cornell Lab of Ornithology online bird guide.
Related Articles:
Bald Eagle Information http://t.co/o4ugzs2
Nesting Eagles http://t.co/vpj99ZV
Terrified Geese Have Eyes on the Sky http://t.co/pqsWQqE
Amazing moment bald eagle chases down and catches a starling in mid-air http://t.co/U3CT5Sh
Michigan DNRE asking drivers to watch out for bald eagles http://t.co/A9R33zI