This is a glimpse into the life of the bald eagle. Endangered in the past due to loss of habitat. shooting and DDT were the major cause of their decline. They were close to extinction as in 1963 with less than 500 breeding pairs in the lower 48 states.

This eagle story comes from an article in the “South Jetty” the weekly newspaper in Port Aransas, Texas. A couple of bird enthusiast told the story of seeing a family of four bald eagles all together perched high atop a double legged steel high-line tower which the breeding pair uses as a nest site on a ranch near Corpus Christi, Texas. The four were a breeding pair and their 2 recently fledged youngsters. The family had been scattered for weeks, but on one day both patents and their teenagers were perched across the top of the tower. Four huge birds all national symbols of our homeland. Handsome specimens proud and free and all standing together as a family.
Written by Jack Kidd

Life had not been easy for this pair of eagles. They first appeared on the ranch in 2006. Their first attempt to nest was a failure due to a severe storm that came through south Texas late that winter. They had finished their nest and were incubating their eggs. however after a fierce wind, rain and lightening storm they just disappeared. But in the fall 2007 they returned and reworked their old nest, raised their first chicks in February and March 2008, the same in 2008-2009 and again in 2010. It is inspiring to see nature nurture “its own”. The dedication and hard work of almost all bird species is a marvel and somewhat humbling considering the sometime lack of responsibility some humans show their children.
Written bi Jack Kidd

As the eaglets continued to grow, for some unknown reason the mother eagle started to bring the eaglets only birds to eat. She brought a small bird to the nest and it was quickly jumped on by the larger chick, however it hesitated and seemed to wonder where the starting point was to eat the small bird and began to walk away from the new meal. The mother observing this, walked toward the prey. As she did, the smaller chick rushed over and grabbed it from the mother as she picked it up and began to pull at it. The ,mother seemed very pleased with this action.
Written by Jack Kidd

As the eaglets continued to grow, their feeding manners grew worse. When one parent feeds one of the young, the other gets frustrated and began to scream frantically. Then it proceeds to go its sibling from behind and proceed to push in from the underside in an attempt to get a bit if food. Then that chick proceeded to strike fast and serious nips at the head of its sibling. Daddy eagle noting the fighting between siblings quickly pulled the fish i front of him shielding it from both chicks. Then with a chick on each side, he pulled pieces of the fish and fed each chick carefully and diligently. This ended all the fighting and squabbling and revealed good perception and good parenting skills.
Written by Jack Kidd.

As the eaglets were growing at a rapid rate, big daddy eagle has started bringing them fish. Usually he delivers the fish by throwing them in the nest and after a short check he flies away. One time he was observed feeding a morsel of food to one of the chicks, thus doing more than a delivery service. One morning it was observed the first meal of the day,brought by big daddy, was a large fish that was still flopping around in the nest. The chicks went crazy for their first meal, begging for daddy to feed them. Then, with his huge claw clutching the fish, he tore into the head of the fish and began to feed the closest chick. The other waited its turn.
Written by Jack Kidd.

This is a continuation of the previous story about eagles. The eaglets are growing fast and showing signs a aggression when their food is delivered. Both chicks will spread their wings and try to hide food from the other as they pounce on the delivered food. But quickly fold their wings, straightened up and start pulling apart their dinner. Occasionally a very hungry chick will wait for the opportunity to steal a meal from its brother. So far this has gone uncontested. Written by Jack Kidd.

Bald eagles usually build their nest near water. Both sexes help build their nest, which after several years in the same location, may become huge. The female eagle lays her first egg 5-10 days after mating. The eggs will hatch after about 35 days of incubation. The adults will immediately began to hunt for fish or small mammals to feed their young. This is an arduous tack to feed 2 hungry hatch lings from morning to night because they grow every fast. The young eaglets will be fledged in 70-80 days. They start out slowly in their flight patterns but as they grow older, they can fly 20-60 mph in formal flight and as adults they can dive 100 mph when hunting for fish or waterfowl which make up their main diet. They may live for 20-30 years. Written by Jack Kidd.

There are many facts about the bald eagle that one does not know.   There are facts and lies. pertaining to this magnificent bird.  The bald eagle was adopted in 1782 as a symbol of the United States,  over the objections of Benjamin Franklin who wanted the wild turkey as our national bird.  The approval of the Great Seal by the Second Continental Congress depicted a bald eagle with a shield on its chest,  an olive branch in its right foot,  13 arrows in its left foot and in its bill a scroll with the words E Pluribus Unum (out of many, one).  It became an icon for the United States,  signifying beauty,  strength and freedom.

Once numerous across North America,  their population was estimated near 500,000 before the colonization of America.  But their numbers dwindled with the western migration of pioneers.  The eagle population fell as people moved west.  In the 1900’s, because they were competing for the same food and habitats,  their numbers fell.  Farmers and ranchers felt that the eagle was a threat to their livestock.  Even the salmon industry thought they were a threat thinking they caught numerous salmon for food until they realized the eagles only fed on the dead salmon after spawning.  But in Alaska in 1917,  their Territorial Government put a bounty on bald eagles,  paying from 50 cents and $2.00 for each pair of talons brought in by the public.  The government collected collected 128,000 pairs .When the bounty was lifted in 1953 150,000 bald eagles had been killed between 1917-1953.

Then in 1940 the Bald Eagle Protection Act was passed because of the growing concern of the decline in the numbers of the species,  the Act also protected the golden eagle.  In 1959 when Alaska joined the union the Bald Eagle Act took place there  finally.

Over the past 40+ years after DDT was banned and steel shot gun shells replaced the lead (after 1991) which the eagles consumed from wild or dead ducks the eagles have made a comeback.  They were placed on the endangered species list in 1967 in all areas south of the 40th parallel .

These safe guards had a tremendous effect on the eagle recovery and in June 2007  they were removed from the threatened and endangered species.  Al though they remain threatened in some states,  hopefully they are back

Written by Jack Kidd:

This is a glimpse into family life of the Bald eagle.  Endangered in the past due to loss of habitat, shooting and DDT were the major causes of their decline.  They were close to extinction as  in 1963 less than 500 breeding pairs in the lower 48 states.  But have made a miraculous comeback with about 10,000 breeding pairs in the lower 48states.

The eagle family story comes from an article in Port Aransas’ newspaper The South Jetty.  A couple of birding enthusiasts told the story of seeing a family of four bald eagles all together perched high atop a double legged steel high-line tower which the the breeding pair uses as their nest site on a ranch near Corpus Christi, Texas.  The four were the adult pair and their 2 recently fledged youngsters.  The family had been scattered for several weeks,  but on one day both parents and their teenagers were perched across the top of the tower.  Four  huge birds all national symbols of our own homeland.  Handsome specimens proud and free and all standing together as a family.

Their life had not been easy.  They first appeared on the ranch in 2006.  Their first attempt to nest was a failure due to a severe storm that came through south Texas late that winter.  They had finished their nest and were incubating their eggs,  however after fierce wind and lightening storm they just disappeared.  But in the fall if 2007 they returned and reworked their old nest, raised their first chicks in February and March of 2008 the same 2008-2009 and again in 2010. It is inspiring to see nature nurture “its own”.  The dedication and hard work of almost all bird species is a marvel and some what humbling considering the sometime lack of responsibility  some humans show their own children.

Written by Jack Kidd   for more information see: birdwatchingforyou.com

Did you know that the United States adopted the bald eagle as the national bird and symbol of the nation in 1782? (Benjamine Franklin – wanted The Wild Turkey to be our national bird but he was voted down in favor of the Eagle) European settlers in America, used to the sight of the Sea Eagle in Europe, named the bald eagle, believing the two birds were the same. There were no bald eagles in Europe, as the bald eagle is found only in North America. The scientific name of the bald eagle is Haliaetus leucocephalus, which actually translates from Latin and Greek into ’sea eagle with a white head.’ We still call them sea eagles to this day.

The bald eagle is the only ’sea eagle’ that is a native of North America. There is no mistaking the bald eagle, with its deep brown feathers and contrasting white head and tail. Coins, flags, buildings, and seals in the United States have used the image of the bald eagle to symbolize the country.

These birds of prey are raptors, along with owls, hawks, vultures, and falcons. The bald eagle eats mainly waterfowl, such as geese and ducks, and fish, but also may indulge in small birds, rodents, snakes, rabbits, and even carrion when live prey is not available
Bald eagles are enormous and intimidating birds, with adults growing to 32 inches in length, with wingspans to 7 feet, and weighing up to 16 pounds.
Alaska is home to the larger eagles, while the smaller ones make their homes in Florida and some in central and coastal Texas. Wherever they are, when animals see the bald eagle descending, they know to scatter.

An area 2 to 15 miles square is the area needed for a pair of bald eagles to hunt in. Each pair of bald eagles shares a nest, furiously guarding it from predators. They usually return to the same nest each year and add to it causing the nest to weigh up to 1 ton and sometimes breaking the tree down in the process. Bald eagles living along the Indian River lagoon located on the Central Florida coast have been known to go after Ospreys who have themselves caught a meal. The Osprey usually drops its hard-won catch in order to escape the powerful eagle, and the eagle, not at all fussy about its meals, will then eat it.

Although they are birds of prey, the bald eagle shows a tremendous instinct for family loyalty. This species chooses its mate for life, unlike most birds. The bald eagle in the wild can live to be 25 years old, though most birds do not live to be this age. They live across North America, from the north, including Canada and Alaska, across the middle expanses of the U.S., and south into the northern part of Mexico.

The bald eagle travels frequently, flying to northern climates to escape hot summers, the birds usually return close to the place where they were hatched in order to begin families of their own. Breeding bald eagles lay one to three eggs in the spring, which hatch about 35 days later. The baby eagles live in the nest during the first three months, and then learn to fly for a month before leaving and beginning their own lives. The bald eagle, despite the dangers of disease, hunger, bad weather
, and toxic chemicals, still adapt to their environments and live into their second year 70% of the time.

Did you know that the U.S. Congress tried to help the species by passing the Bald Eagle Protection Act in 1940? The law prohibits anyone from disturbing or bothering bald eagles. The law also prohibited taking the birds, their eggs, or their nests, for any reason unless they have a permit. Take includes not just capturing or trapping the bald eagle, but also bothering them, shooting at them, and wounding or killing them.

The overuse of pesticides commercially and residentialy, as well as the use of DDT and other harmful chemicals, led to the steep decline of bald eagles. Reintroduction programs, some federally funded and some private, as well as new laws have given the bald eagle a chance to return in numbers. It seemed nearly impossible to save the species from extinction at the time.

For species with small populations, and those with very few animals left, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 allowed the legal classifications of endangered or threatened. The dramatic return of the bald eagle population removed it from most endangered species lists in the early 1990s.

The dramatic increase in the number of bald eagles, up from almost 500 pairs in 1963, to about 5,000 pairs in 1994, encouraged Congress to upgrade the species to threatened on August 11, 1995. As the number of bald eagles increase, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has plans to remove the bird from the endangered species list altogether.

The bald eagle is a pleasure to watch. The bald eagle takes off with strides that are powerful and purposeful. The eagle soars as if in slow motion. The eagle stays fixed on its path, the prize kept firmly in sight. The number of majestic bald eagles is steadily increasing all over North America. Take any opportunity to see these magnificent animals.