 Typically
people living here will make a long drive to
Havana, Starved Rock, Grafton or a number of
other far-off river places in order to view
eagles during this season. But a bald eagle
has surprised Logan County residents with a
personal visit this week. The eagle has been
observed just north of Lincoln several days
this week.
The eagle's height of about 3 feet and
its tucked-in 3- to 4-foot wings create such
a massive bulk that when sitting on the now
barren, snowy fields, it stands out. This
eagle's distinctive white head indicates
that it would be at least 4 or 5 years old.
The American bald eagle has been our
national emblem since June 20, 1782.
Eagles nearly fell into extinction in the
1970s. At that time the eagle population
reached an alarming all-time low, and it was
estimated that there were only 500 mating
pairs. Their demise was believed to be due
to extensive use of an agricultural
chemical, DDT. They and other wildlife are
also affected by chemicals such as DDE, PCBs
and lead shot, in addition to facing other
challenges created by the urbanization of
former natural habitats.
They were placed on the federal list of
endangered and threatened wildlife and
plants. While on the endangered list,
measures were taken to protect them, and
successful breeding in captivity and
reintroduction operations also boosted their
numbers.
They were removed from the endangered
lists in 2007. Yet even now, according to
some statistics, there are only 15,000 bald
eagles in the nation. So, they are still
carefully watched and protected today.
Officials are interested in the well-being
of even just one.
Jason Bak from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service actually drove here from Springfield
on Thursday just to be sure this bird was
not looking sick or injured and in need of
rescue.
He said it is likely that this is an
eagle migrating north. Eagles will eat
carrion if found on a journey and will stop
and stay until the food is gone, as they may
not find anything to eat for a while.
You could probably compare migration to
one of those progressive dinner parties or
vacation traveling; you plan your stops
where there's food, and you eat your way
somewhere.
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While to the naked eye it is
difficult to tell how this eagle is doing, a
zoom-in of the pictures and general
observations indicated that this bird is
quite all right, with no injury, and
healthy. It has the classic, shrewd bright
eyes -- "eagle eye" -- and stands astute and
perky. The eagle was also observed to fly
well.
In this picture the eagle is grooming those
proud breast feathers -- a good sign.
There is a food source
nearby, and Bak declared that he thought
this is an eagle that simply stopped to eat
while on migration. It will likely move on
when the food is gone.
Other eagle facts:
-
To see an eagle fly is amazing thing.
With its giant wings, its lift ratio
allows it to fly with little flapping.
An eagle soars on thermals, updrafts
that make flight effortless, and it can
average 30 mph.
-
Some eagles migrate, some don't.
-
A female's wingspan, at 7 feet, is 1
foot longer than the male's.
-
Eagles weigh 10-14 pounds and live 20-30
years.
-
An eagle's diet is mostly fish, carrion,
smaller birds and rodents.
[By
JAN YOUNGQUIST]
This Web site is full of
useful information for teaching in the
classroom:
http://www.baldeagleinfo.com/eagle/eagle9.html
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