endangered animals

Accipitridae

The bald eagle was initially listed on February 14, 1978 as an endangered species throughout the USA. On August 11, 1995 the bald eagle would be reclassified from endangered to threatened in the USA. In South Carolina, the bird is still considered endangered. (Federally) Threatened means that a species is in danger for whatever reason, or that animal is threatened to be in danger soon if something isn't done to protect them. (State) Endangered means animals who are in danger of becoming extinct if nothing is done to protect them.

The bald eagle is a member of the family Accipitridae. The bald eagle is a bird ; specifically an eagle. There are four major groups of eagles: fish eagles, booted eagles, snake eagles, and giant forest eagles. The bald eagle is a fish eagle.

The habitat that the bald eagle likes to live in is described as follows: it is associated with the coast, rivers, and lakes, usually inhabiting areas near large bodies of water where there are plenty of fish to eat and tall trees in which to nest and roost. Selection of nesting sites varies tremendously depending on the species of trees growing in a particular area. In the Southeast, nests are constructed in dominant or codominant pines or cypress. Nests are usually constructed in living trees, but bald eagles will occasionally use dead ones. Among nesting sites these elements seem to be consistent: 1) the proximity of water (usually within one-half mile) and a clear flight path to a close point on the water; 2) the largest living tree in a span; and 3) an open view of the surrounding area.

The bald eagle is the only eagle species living strictly throughout North America with the exception of extreme northern Alaska, Canada, and central and southern Mexico. Breeding occurs throughout the same area. Nesting in the Southeast occurs in three primary areas: peninsular Florida, coastal South Carolina and coastal Louisiana. It is a fish eagle that has a presence in every state in the U.S.A. except Hawaii.

http://www.baldeagleinfo.com/eagle/eagle8.html

Picture above is an adult bald eagle.

DESCRIPTION:

The bald eagle is a large raptor. The characteristic adult has a blackish-brown back and breast; a white head, neck, and tail; yellow feet and bill. Juvenile eagles are completely dark brown and do not fully develop the white head and tail until the fifth or sixth year. The female eagle is 35 to 37 inches in length, with a wingspan from 79 to 90 inches. The male body length from 30 to 34 inches. The wingspan ranges from 72 to 85 inches. Bald eagles weigh approximately 10 to 14 pounds. Female bald eagles are somewhat larger than the males. Their body temperature is 102 degrees Fahrenheit. The bald eagle's skin is protected by feathers lined with down. The feet are cold resistant, which gives them have a high tolerance to cold weather. It's skeleton weighs about half a pound. The feathers weigh twice that much because there are around 7,000 feathers. Their bones are hollow and their feathers are also lightweight, yet extremely strong. The tail is important for flight and maneuvering. The beak has a hook at the tip for tearing. The sharp beak can slice tough skin, creating a scissors effect. The talons are an important tool for hunting and defense. Eagles kill their prey by penetrating its flesh with their talons. They have a shrilling high-pitched voice that is used in male-female bonding and to warn other eagles and predators that an area is defended. Eagles also have the sharpest eyesight of any animal.

In 1992 there were approximately 1,480 bald eagles in the U.S. There is currently over 5,748. In South Carolina there were approximately 21 in 1982 and now there are over 129. Other sources say the bald eagle population has increased by 40 to 50 thousand in the U.S.

Bald Eagle Pairs
In the lower 48 States

Dutch

http://www.fws.gov/r3pao/eagle/population/chtofprs.html
Graph above shows the population increase from 1963-1998.

The life expectancy of the bald eagle may be as long as thirty years, but the average lifespan is probably fifteen to twenty years. Other sources say they have a lifespan of up to 40 years in the wild and longer in captivity.

An opportunistic predator, the bald eagle feeds primarily on fish, but also eats a variety of birds, mammals, and turtles when fish are not available. Eagles sit at the top of the food chain.

Bald eagles usually only lay eggs once a year. If something happens to the first nest they may try a second time. Normally an eagle lays two eggs, yet sometimes only one and sometimes as many as three.

The main threat to bald eagles is humans. Some hunt and sell them for money illegally, but the thing that harms bald eagles the most is DDT. It causes the eagle eggs to become soft which causes the eggs to be more prone to cracking, killing the chicks. They don't have natural predators since they are at the top of the food chain, but that also makes them more vulnerable to toxic chemicals in the environment, killing them rather quickly. Additional factors indicated in the decline include illegal shooting, electrocution, impact injuries and lead poisoning. Poachers kill them to sell illegally just because they are scarce.

Eagles do not migrate. Eagles only travel as far as they have to in order to find food. This is particularly true of adult eagles with established territories.

Because it is the United States' national symbol it has received a great deal of attention and many protection agencies have developed to protect it. There are too many to list. The bald eagle has become one of the major success stories in restoring and making a population increase dramatically. Banning DDT in America contributed greatly to the population increase of the bald eagle. Current protective measures include legal and regulatory measures, captive rearing, and habitat protection and improvement. Bald eagles are protected by Federal laws which are enforced by both the Fish and Wildlife Service and State Game Departments. Nests sites are protected under management programs on Federal lands: national wildlife refuges and national forests. The bald eagle is especially recognized in the Endangered Species Act. The bald eagle's recovery is underway and the numbers of citing are growing rapidly.

There are no specific current issues or controversies concerning the bald eagle that I could find. There are recent news articles at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services web site, but no hot topics or debates.

In the map above, the state of South Carolina is colored a light tan shade. This indicates a state conservation status rank of S2, Imperiled.

Reference for map -
http://www.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?menuselect=none&sourceTemplate=tabular_report.wmt
&loadTemplate=species_RptDistribution.wmt&selectedReport=RptDistribution.wmt&summaryView=tabular_report.wmt
&elKey=ABNKC10010&paging=home&save=true&startIndex=1&nextStartIndex=1&reset=false
&offPageSelectedElKey=ABNKC10010&offPageSelectedElType=species&offPageYesNo=true
&radiobutton=radiobutton&selectedIndexes=ABNKC10010&selectedIndexes=ABNKC10011
&selectedIndexes=ABNKC10012&menuselectfooter=none

Written by: Tracy
Tracy Schwend
Mrs. Ferrell - 2nd period
Environmental Science
Dec. 8, 2000.

(geschreven door)

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