The
Comeback of Bald Eagles –
No Longer Endangered
Species
(6/10/04). The national bird has made a comeback
in the last few decades, after being on the verge of
extinction from vast DDT poisoning in the ‘60s and ‘70s that
thinned their eggshells and crashed their birth rate,
destruction of their habitats with the growth of the
country, contamination of waterways and food sources, and
shootings by ranchers trying to protect their sheep. They
can now be found nesting in places like Llano, Texas, where
it was a rarity to see them that far west. Although, DDT
pesticide is outlawed in the U.S., it is still used on South
American crops, which may have contributed to their return
to U.S. skies.
In 1997, they were down-listed from the federally
endangered species list. Endangered species are those
that are in danger of extinction throughout all of its
range. Threatened species are likely to become endangered in
the near future.
According to Environmental Defense, a New
York-based conservation group, there are more than 7,678
nesting pairs of bald eagles in the contiguous 48 states. In
1963, there were 417 pairs. It was endangered in 43 states
by 1978 and threated in five others. It was reclassified as
threatened in the lower 48 states in 1995. It was never in
danger in Alaska, where there are over 35,000 of them (about
half of the world’s 70,000 bald eagle population).
Five years ago, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service proposed taking bald eagles off the list of
protected species; however, it never acted. The delisting
process has taken longer than the typical year because
drafting a five-year, post-recovery plan for a range as huge
as the bald eagle involves updated statewide counts and
eagle-protection rules already in place have hindered the
process.
The Bush administration expects the bald eagle
will be off the threatened list this year. Still, it will
need special protection and will be safeguarded under the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the federal Bald Eagle
Protection Act of 1940 that prohibits killing or selling
eagles. No one can “take, transport, sale, barter, trade,
import and export.” Possession is illegal without a permit.
This includes eagle parts, nests, and eggs. Possession of a
feather or other body part is a felony with a fine of up to
$10,000 and/or imprisonment. Federally recognized Native
Americans may possess these emblems that are traditional in
their culture. In their lore, a single eagle feather is
believed to possess great power so they incorporate the
eagle’s primaries and tail feathers into their ceremonies
and legends.
In the early 1700’s, the bald eagle population
was estimated at 300,000 to 500,000 birds. Public awareness
still must be enacted, because even though they are out of
danger, they still are harassed, injured/killed by guns,
traps, power lines, windmills, and poisons. Only a few
species have “fought their way back from the United States’
endangered species list.” They include the California gray
whale, the American alligator, and the bald eagle. Colin
Rowan, Environmental Defense’s spokesman, says, “it’s the
most recognizable, beloved animal we have. We want the
country to have a good success story to talk about.”
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