Williamsburg Settlement February 2018

Against Benjamin Franklin’s wishes, the Bald Eagle became our
national symbol in 1782 and by 1970, they were nearly extinct.
There are several reasons for this. It was legal to hunt eagles for
sport and the long-held belief that eagles picked up lambs and
children with their talons was another reason to kill the birds. Since
the diet of the eagle is mostly fish, eagles were killed to protect
fishing grounds. The use of pesticides proved disastrous to the
survival of the eagles. The chemicals collected in the fish that were
eaten by the birds. These chemicals severely limited their ability to
reproduce and when they did produce, the egg shells were very thin
and weak. The chemical DDT was restricted in 1972. When restrictions
were put in place and DDT was banned, the eagle population
began to rebound. It was removed from the US government’s list
of endangered species in 1995 and went from being classified as
endangered to threatened. In 2007 it was de-listed and has been
assigned a risk level of “Least Concern.”
Bald eagles mate for life but recent research suggests there may
be an occasional “divorce” and if a mate dies, an eagle will “remarry.”
They work together to construct the largest nest of any North
American bird which they return to every year. The work to build
the nest is what actually “cements” their bond. Typically the nests
are 5 to 6 feet in diameter and 2 to 4 feet wide and since they tend
to use the same nest every year, the nest can continue to get a little
bigger every year. They prefer to nest in old growth at least 65 feet
high, near open water and away from human habitation but have
been seen in populated areas.
Because the Bald Eagle is our national symbol, it has been given
protection by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The Act
prohibits anyone, without a permit issued by the Secretary of the
Interior, from “taking” bald eagles. Taking is described to include
their parts, nests or eggs, molesting or disturbing the birds. The
Act provides criminal penalties for persons who “take, possess,
sell, purchase, barter, offer to sell, purchase or barter, transport,
export or import, at any time or any manner, any bald eagle ... [or
any golden eagle], alive or dead or any part, nest or egg thereof.”
In the winter of 1999, a pair of Bald Eagles decided to make The
HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR NATIONAL SYMBOL?
By Cheryl Conley, TWRC Wildlife Center
Woodlands their home. Normally staying away from populated
areas, these eagles didn’t seem to mind the noise and traffic in the
area. The eagles have returned every year and have fledged 22 eaglets.
The Woodlands Development Company in cooperation with
the US Fish and Wildlife Service developed a habitat conservation
plan protecting their nesting area from development.
FAST FACTS
• The only difference in appearance between the male and the
female is that she is bigger. Eagles have an average wingspan of
6 to 8 feet.
• Bald Eagles can live up to 35 years of age. Of course, there are
older Bald Eagles on record.
• During courtship, eagles will soar into the air, chase each other, fly
upside down, lock talons and take death-defying spirals back to the
ground. This is done with both potential mates and competitors.
Timing is everything! Poor timing can result in death for both birds.
• They lay 1 to 3 eggs and incubation takes about 35 days. The eggs
hatch a few days apart in the order they were laid. It can take 12-48
hours for them to hatch.
• It’s not uncommon for the first-born to kill the smaller one. Parents
do not intervene.
• 40% of young eagles don’t survive their first flight.
• They reach full adult size at 2 months. Eaglets fledge at about 3
months but it takes 4 to 5 years to become an adult. This is when
they get their distinctive white plumage.
• The site of their first flight is where they will return to nest and
raise their young.
• Once fledged, the young ones will remain around the nest for up
to 9 weeks learning to fly and hunt. The parents will continue to
feed them.
• Bald Eagles have 7,000 feathers.
TWRC Wildlife Center is a 35-year-old 501(C)(3) organization that
rehabilitates injured orphaned and displaced wildlife. Admissions
average 6,000 animals/year. If you have wildlife questions or would
like to explore how you can help, go to www.twrcwildlifecenter.org
or call 713-468-8972.
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8 February 2018 | Community Newsletter