Habitat protection afforded by the Endangered Species Act, the federal … These carcasses often contain fragments of lead ammunition, which eagles and other scavengers gulp down along with the meat. The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act gives the government the ability to issue permits to take eagles as long as it's compatible with the preservation of the species. Celebrating National Native American Heritage Month, Meeting Notice: Service Migratory Bird Regulations Committee, Delaware Artist Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest, Migratory Bird Treaty Act Protected Species (10.13 List), Information for Planning and Conservation System, Other Bird Data and Information Resources, Partners in Flight North American Landbird Conservation Plan, Bird Conservation Partnerships & Initiatives, Council for the Conservation of Migratory Birds, North American Bird Conservation Initiative, North American Wetlands Conservation Council, Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, Duck Stamp Information for Birders & Photographers, Duck Stamp Information for Stamp Collectors, Duck Stamp Design Products & Licensing Program, Migratory Bird Hunting & Conservation Stamp Act. While the future is impossible to foretell, people who know Bald Eagles the best are optimistic about what's ahead. Then, in 1940, the Bald Eagle Protection Act (now the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act) expanded the law's reach, prohibiting the killing or possession of Bald Eagles or their feathers, eggs, or nests. DDT itself was not lethal to the adult bird, but it interfered with the bird's calciummetabolism, making the bird either sterile or unable to lay healthy eggs. The bald eagle was recently removed from the endangered species list but remains protected by laws that prohibit harming them. Our national emblem was back. The Bald Eagle is an Endangered Species Act success story. That's a conservative management objective — not only are we not going to let them go extinct, we're going to try and maintain populations at at least the size they are now.”, Interior Secretary Dick Kempthorne announces the Bald Eagle's delisting at a ceremony on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C., in 2007. It was one of the first species to be declared endangered. There are many more success stories waiting to happen: 41 U.S. bird populations listed under the Endangered Species Act are showing upward trends, he notes, making their recovery a real possibility. Individuals will occasionally nest near semi-urban areas where housing density is low and in farmland habitat; however Golden Eagles have been noted to be sensitive to some forms of human presence. Bald Eagles may live 15 to 25 years in the wild, longer in captivity. They may also have one or more alternate nests within their breeding territory. In 2007, the bald eagle population in the United States reached a level that brought it down from the \"endangered\" list to the \"threatened\" list, so scientists are hopeful for the growth of the species. By 1997, this number had increased to more than 5,000. Taking the Bald Eagle off the endangered species list didn't mean an end to federal regulations concerning the management of the species. Although there were only five known Bald Eagle deaths from brodifacoum poisoning between 1982 and 2013, compared to 484 from lead, it's beginning to show up at chronic low levels in even the most isolated Bald Eagle populations, which wildlife managers are at a loss to explain. Their habitat includes estuaries, large lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and some seacoasts. Some eagle populations were listed under the Endangered Species Preservation Act, which became law in 1967; this protection was maintained with the passage of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1973. The bald eagle is also protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Act as well as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. And a decade later, where does the species stand? ABC, which had sued the Service in 2014 over the previous version of this rule, pushed successfully for the 2016 regulation to require greater public involvement in the permitting process and that wind energy companies have independent, third-party monitoring at their facilities, which are often deadly to eagles and other birds. The question confronting federal officials and conservationists alike was — and remains — how much take is too much? In 2007, it became official: the Bald Eagle was no longer endangered, or even threatened. Golden Eagles avoid nesting near urban habitat and do not generally nest in densely forested habitat. Finally, in 1978, ESA protection expanded to include Bald Eagles in all 48 contiguous states. (In regulatory terms, this is known as “take” of a species.) See fact sheet on Golden Eagles (387.3KB). Breeding Bald Eagles typically lay one to three eggs once a year, and they hatch after about 35 days. When it does, it may be due to the species naturally hitting its carrying capacity — a term used in ecology to define the maximum population size a region's resources can sustainably support. Immature Bald Eagle with lead poisoning by Marge Gibson. This information is used to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The Bald Eagle is usually quite sensitive to human activity while nesting, and is found most commonly in areas with minimal human disturbance. In 2016, the Fish and Wildlife Service issued updated regulations governing the take of eagles and eagle nests. The Environmental Protection Agency eventually banned DDT a decade later, just two years after the agency was established. The plan is to have surveys take place every three years from now on. Forty years ago, our national symbol was in danger of extinction throughout most of its range. This article first appeared in the spring 2018 edition of Bird Conservation magazine. Take Action: Help Defend the Endangered Species Act! Black-and-White Warbler, Dennis W. Donohue/Shutterstock. Distinguished by a white head and white tail feathers, bald eagles are powerful, brown birds that may weigh 14 pounds and have a wingspan of 8 feet. “But the data that we have suggests that Bald Eagle populations not only increased from delisting until 2009, but that they've continued to increase since then.”. Habitat protection afforded by the Endangered Species Act, the federal government’s banning of DDT, and conservation actions taken by the American public have helped Bald Eagles make a remarkable recovery. Developed in the 1940s, DDT — short for dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane — was one of the first synthetic insecticides. Bald Eagles will also feed on waterfowl, turtles, rabbits, snakes, and other small animals and carrion. Bald Eagles were removed from the endangered species list in August 2007 because their populations recovered sufficiently. Other sources of data can hint at what's going on with Bald Eagles, too. (The eagle population in Alaska had remained healthy, and was never in need of listing.) The Bald Eagle is an Endangered Species Act success story. The eagle population boom will almost certainly flatten out eventually. Some estimates hold that there are now over 100,000 bald eagles in Alaska, while 23 of the lower 48 states are now home to 100 or more breeding pairs. Bald Eagle pair in flight by Justin Russ/Shutterstock. Bald Eagles require a good food base, perching areas, and nesting sites. “So when Bald Eagles were delisted, we defined the preservation of the species as maintaining stable breeding populations. Once in danger of extinction due to hunting and pesticides, the bald eagle is now thriving throughout much of North America. The birds travel great distances but usually return to breeding grounds within 100 miles of the place where they were raised. Even with new regulations in place, monitoring is crucial to ensuring everything is working as it should. It wasn't until the 1960s and 1970s that Bald Eagles became an emblem of the environmental movement as their numbers plummeted from the effects of the pesticide DDT.