Oldest wild bald eagle dies in road collision

The death of a bald eagle in a collision with a car in New Brunswick in April has turned out to be more than just another bird kill. Research into the leg ring found on the roadkill remains turned up some interesting facts. The bald eagle that was killed had been ringed in Maine in 1977 making it the oldest known bald eagle found in the wild.

Although the bald eagle died the fact it lived so long does offer hope that the conservation programme for the species is working and that the species is moving further away from potential extinction. At the grand age of 32 years and 10 months the signs are that habitat restoration and conservation is playing a successful role in ensuring that bald eagles have a much better and longer life now than 40 or 50 years ago.

Based on its band number, the Bald eagle had been tagged as a chick on June 23, 1977 at Perry, Me.

Numbers of bald eagles are though to be back at the levels of 70 years or more ago. During the 60′s and 70′s numbers of this enigmatic bird collapsed because of the massive increase in use of pesticides – especially DDT – during the 80′s and 70′s. The use of DDT had a major impact on all bird populations by causing weak eggshells and weakened immune systems in many species of birds. The problem of DDT was highlighted in Rachel Carson‘s ground breaking book Silent Spring. The banning of DDT that followed and the improved controls and regulations have lead to many bird species recovering from the agricultural practices of the 60′s and 70′s.

While the bald eagle is recovering across much of the US and Canada there are still pockets where eagle numbers are not bouncing back. Vermont has just released a bald eagle recovery plan to try and conserve the eagle and prevent it from going extinct in the state. This year Vermont had 9 eagle nests and 5 bald eagle chicks – one of the best results for many years.

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is obviously an iconic bird for the US as it’s a national symbol. One of the best places to see bald eagles in the wild is at the Harrison River Estuary where bald eagles head after once they leave the summer feeding grounds of Alaska and British Columbia. The return of the eagles is such an event for the region that they have an annual festival the Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival. This year it runs over the weekend of Nov 20th -21st and the signs are it’s going to be a stunner this year.

One of the local experts reported recently that usually at the end of October there are around 200 – 300 birds feeding at the river but already there are 500 -600 birds. The biologist, David Hancock who has studied the eagles for 50 years, is predicting between 1,500 and 2,000 bald eagles in the valley by the time the festival arrives in a couple of weeks.

photo credit: Dopak