The Bald Eagle Reviving a National Symbol - Kendall Childs - ENR 4500

Introduction

It was decided in 1782 that the bald eagle would become the national symbol of the United States of America. A symbol of strength, ferocity, and freedom, bald eagle populations were distributed across all 50 states.

Bald eagles are birds of prey. Their diet mainly consists of fish and scraps from animal carcasses. They mate for life and call hundred pound nests atop old-growth trees home. A combination of human actions almost drove them out of existence. America’s mascot, an inspiration of freedom and perseverance, was looking hopeless. There was something about the bald eagle, perhaps all for what it stands for, that communicated the urgency to save it.

After enacting laws, banning chemicals, monitoring populations, and enforcing regulations, the bald eagle population climbed back to stability. This story of revival is among the most widely known in American conservation.

Timeline

• 1782 - The bald eagle is named the U.S. national bird; there are around 175,000 bald eagles in North America
• 1900 – Congress passes the Lacey Act
• 1918 – Congress passes the Migratory Bird Treaty Act
• 1940 – Congress passes a federal law that made bald eagle “take” illegal under the Bald Eagle Protection Act
• 1962 – The Bald Eagle Protection Act is amended to include the golden eagle and becomes the Eagle Act; Rachel Carson publishes Silent Spring
• 1963 – 417 nesting pairs remain in the continental U.S.
• 1966 – Congress passes the Endangered Species Preservation Act
• 1972 – The insecticide DDT is banned in the U.S.
• 1973 – Congress passes the Endangered Species Act
• 1978 – U.S. Federal government declares the bald eagle endangered in 43 states and threatened in five
• 2007 – The bald eagle is delisted from the threatened and endangered species list under the Endangered Species Act; bald eagles are now managed under the Eagle Act
• 2009 – A federal plan is enacted to survey bald eagle populations across the continent every five years; the plan fails due to lack of funding
• 2015 – The death of the oldest bald eagle (age 38) makes headlines
• 2016 -- The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) makes new regulations for take of bald eagles under the Eagle Act
• 2018 – The USFWS decides to survey bald eagle populations every three years
• Present (2021) – The bald eagle population continues to grow and has not yet hit carrying capacity; wildlife managers are on the lookout for new threats to populations

Population Decline

Habitat destruction, shooting, lead poisoning, and the DDT biomagnification - all human action issues - were the culprits of bald eagle population decline.

Habitat Destruction - Bald eagles prefer to nest near coastlines, rivers, and lakes where there is an adequate food source. Deforestation and urban development has shrunken viable habitat for bald eagles. They have since adapted as their nests can be found on man-made structures.

Shooting - In the late 1800’s, bald eagles were perceived as threats to livestock, even though their diet mainly consists of fish and animal remains. As a result, many of the birds were shot and killed by livestock owners.

Lead Poisoning - Bald eagles often eat animals that are already dead, whether their carcass remains from a previous predator or the animal has been killed and left there by a hunter. In the latter case, bald eagles ended up with fatal lead poisoning from the gun's ammunition.

DDT Biomagnification - Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, or DDT was introduced to the United States as a mosquito repellent and insecticide soon after World War II. Planes flew over fields to spray the chemical across lands and people even hosed themselves down with it. Agricultural runoff from this now banned chemical ended up in bodies of water – where bald eagles get most of their food. The chemical traveled up the food chain, accumulating in organisms' tissues. Accumulation in bald eagles tissues caused their eggs to have a very thin shell which often broke before it was time for the birds to hatch.

Watch the video for an in-depth explanation of biomagnification in the case of the bald eagle.

Laws and Regulations

Four pieces of legislation largely contributed to the revival of the bald eagle. Many of them offering rewards for information regarding violation and serious consequences for offenders, these efforts communicated the importance and urgency of saving our national symbol.

The Narrative Around a National Symbol

A collection of legal efforts, feelings, and science saved the bald eagle.

• Various laws and regulations
• Responsiveness when regulations were under-funded
• Feelings of pride, hope, and freedom the bald eagle instills in Americans
• Science behind DDT accumulation

It is hard to imagine a country where the public has killed off their widest-known symbol. The narrative around the bald eagle is what ultimately drove it’s numbers back to stability. This is not always the case for endangered species in the United States. The Florida panther, Atlantic bluefin tuna, and loggerhead sea turtle are among the many other species endangered in the United States, however they have not been met with the same national coverage, widespread efforts, and tireless action on their behalf.

The United States should feel proud to have collectively saved their symbol, but the effort should not stop there. It is necessary to follow the same process as was followed to revive the bald eagle when approaching species in critical situations. If not, there will be no species for our favorite bird to co-exist with.

References and more information