What is it about the bald eagle that makes nearly everyone stop in their tracks and take notice? Is it because this bird symbolizes strength and freedom as our national emblem? Is it because it is easily recognized and spectacular with a contrasting white head offsetting piercing, pale-lemon yellow eyes and dark body with a wing span of nearly seven feet?
Or is it because these birds were on the brink of extinction only a few decades ago? I happen to believe it is all of the above, but largely because one experiences a sense of hope and joy when a species makes such a remarkable recovery from that brink.
In fact, in 1963, only 417 bald eagles were found in the entire lower 48 states. Today, there are more than 7,700 breeding pairs of bald eagles. In comparison, in 1782, when the bald eagle was named the national bird of the United States, there may have been 25,000 to 75,000 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states.
A similar trend has occurred in Washington state. During the 2001 census, a record 658 active nests was documented.
This spring's statewide estimated population of up to 2,000 eagles compares meagerly to the 6,000-10,000 eagles estimated to be living in the area when Lewis and Clark first visited the land we now call Washington state in 1805.
So, why the decline? What happened? By the early 1900s bald eagle numbers had declined significantly due to shooting and habitat destruction which lead the U.S. Congress to pass the Bald Eagle Protection Act in 1940.
However, the worst was yet to come when, in 1940, the pesticide DDT was introduced to the environment.
As a top predator, the pesticide built up in the food chain and accumulated in the eagles' tissues. This resulted in abnormally thin eggshells that could not support the weight of the incubating parent. Without young being produced, bald eagle populations rapidly declined and disappeared from many states. DDT was banned in 1972, and in 1978 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the bald eagle endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Bald eagles have experienced an unprecedented comeback due to these protective measures, reintroduction programs and education of the public.
Coming home to roost
For the first time in decades, bald eagles nested in Seattle's Discovery Park in 1989. Since then, nests can be found in many parts of the metropolitan area. Indeed, Southeast Seattle currently hosts three active eagle nests with the latest in Deadhorse Canyon. The other two are nestled in Seward Park.
Both of these areas offer ideal breeding territories: mature trees, that can support a nest weighting up to 2,000 pounds and a location near a large open water body with an abundant food source, primarily fish and waterfowl.
In addition to these Southeast Seattle sites, there are at least 13 eagle nests, or territories, in the greater Seattle area.
Eagles mate for life, and the pair migrates together and returns to the same nest year after year. Seattle's eagles typically return to their nesting territories in September and October. In late January, they will add large sticks to the nest and perform spectacular aerial courtships, including locking talons and descending in a series of somersaults.
During the last days of February and the first days of March, the female lays two eggs. After both parents incubate the eggs for 34-36 days, hatching begins around mid-April.
For the first two weeks after the young hatch, one parent is with the chicks almost constantly. At this time, our eagles are busy feeding young. The chicks don't start to fly until they are 10-12 weeks old, around late June to early July.
The parents continue to feed and defend their young for another two to three months, and the juveniles don't attain their familiar adult feathers until they reach 5 years.
Additionally, young eagles will not breed until they are 7 or 8 years old.
Our South End eagles will move north in late summer, typically to Canada's Frasier River, to take advantage of food sources such as salmon. They'll return slowly to hopefully begin the cycle once again in our wild urban parks.
The eagles that live near large cities are unique, for they have adapted to the human presence. However, the greater tolerance of human activity exhibited by these pairs should not be interpreted as the norm for the population. Some birds become accustomed to human activity while others tolerate very little. The current, local availability of large, mature trees along our shorelines, as well as the number of these trees in the future, will play a primary role in determining how bald eagles will ultimately fare in Seattle and their entire breeding and wintering territories.
To learn more about our eagles first hand, Christina Gallegos, the naturalist at Seward Park's Environmental Learning Center offers eagle tours.
To see the South End eagle nests, including this year's new arrival in Dead Horse Canyon, take one of Gallegos' tours at Seward Park on June 25th from 9-11 a.m. or on July 9th from 4-6 p.m. The Dead Horse Canyon tour is slated for 7/30 from 10 a.m. - noon.
Dead Horse Canyon has limited parking, and Gallegos recommends parking at Lakeridge Park at 10145 Rainier Ave. S. before walking .8 miles to the trailhead. To register, call 684-7434.
For live, up-close views, of Puget Sound eagles, an eagle cam sponsored by Washington State Fish and Wildlife can be seen at: wdfw.wa.gov/viewing/wildview.htm.
Sandra Woods may be reached at editor@sdistrictjournal.com.
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