Bald eagle birds

Having grown up in the United States, I have seen pictures of bald eagles all my life but I had never seen one. When I went to Alaska recently, I knew this was my chance to see this wonderful bird. Bald eagles are native to North America and live throughout out Canada, the continental United States and northern Mexico but they are especially plentiful in Alaska.

 I went to the Chilkoot River where salmon are restricted as they go through a fishing weir and I waited to see my bald eagles. I saw a brown bear mother and two cubs and I saw some sea gulls. Then I heard a whishing in the air and looked up. A bald eagle came flying in and landed thirty feet above my head on the branch of a tree. It was then that I noticed its mate who had been sitting in the tree all the time. They sat there and called back and forth to each other for about twenty minutes. Since bald eagles mate for life I could imagine this pair saying, "Where have you been all day?" "I was out getting materials for the nest and fishing." I felt like I was eavesdropping on a private eagle conversion and was enthralled with the view I had been given into an eagle's daily life.

 I developed my interest in bald eagles back in 1967 when this eagle was declared endangered in the 48 contiguous states. It was hard to imagine that a bird that had numbered 300,000 to 500,000 in the early 18th century had only 412 mating pairs in the mid-twentieth century. What had happened to reduce the population so severely? Several things had happened. Eagles and other birds of prey were adversely affected by the use of DDT. DDT didn't kill the birds but it affected their calcium production. The shells on their eggs were too thin to survive these large birds sitting on them. Also people hunted these birds for sport and also to protect lakes and other fishing areas from these remarkable fishermen. Lost of habitat was another factor in the decline of the bald eagle.

 In 1972, the use of DDT was banned in the USA and about the same time strong limits were put on DDT's use in Canada. The passage of the Endangered Species Act of 1972 also assisted in the rapid recovery of the bald eagle in the lower 48 states. In 2007, this magnificent bird was removed from the list of endangered or threatened species. It is now protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty. The remarkable recovery from a listing of endangered to a listing of least concern in just 40 years is an environmental success story.

Eagle bird

The bald eagle is America's national bird. Children are taught from an early age that the bald eagle is a significant bird to respect. In addition to it being a significant bird, citizens of America view the eagle as a symbol of the ideals of America and all of it's people who live there and around the world. The impression that Americans reside in a free country bursting with ideals of independence, freedom, and bravery are often felt when Americans watch an eagle soar in the sky.

 Unfortunately, these birds were put on the endangered species list because of some people that wanted to have these majestic birds stuffed on their mantelpiece rather than letting them fly free in the air. Thankfully, after much work by government agencies and many volunteers the number of eagle's have been increasing. These groups have helped to pass laws that protect these incredible birds and also worked tirelessly to restore habitat and rehabilitate injured birds to release back into the wild. With the help of these people and organizations, the eagle is able to be seen in greater numbers in many areas of the United States and in Canada.

Helping The Eagles
There are some things that can be done by those that want to help the eagles. Donating money and time to groups that help the eagles is a great idea. Money and volunteers are often in short supply. It may be an eagle rehabilitation center that needs help or it could be one of the annual eagle counts that are conducted in a number of locations in either country. Also, helping to save and restore habitat of the eagles is very important. Much of their habitat has been destroyed over the years by commercial, industrial and residential developments. This has given them fewer places to nest and raise their offspring which has resulted in less eagles being born in many areas each year. When a person sees an eagle's nest they should report it to the Fish And Wildlife officials near them so that they can keep track of where the eagles are nesting and hopefully help to preserve that area for them.

 Researching on the internet and talking with members of bird watching groups are good places to uncover information and resources about eagles. By gaining greater knowledge about eagles, people will be able to assist in the preservation of these majestic birds. The eagles are benefiting from the efforts made by these people and organizations. However, the more people that get involved and help, the better are the eagles' odds of existing and even thriving in the years to come.