Bald eagles are one of our country’s greatest environmental protection success stories. Bald eagles nearly became extinct because of the use of the pesticide DDT, which flowed into streams and rivers because of stormwater runoff. Once in our waterways, DDT was absorbed by fish, which are the primary food source for eagles. Ingesting the chemicals from this pesticide caused eagle eggshells to weaken, killing the baby birds inside. And that was critical because eagle pairs produce an average of only one or two eggs per year.
Bald eagles reached a low of only 417 breeding pairs across the entire continental United States (the lower 48 states) in 1963. The Environmental Protection Act (EPA) expanded to include bald eagles in 1978, and within 20 years there were over 5,000 breeding pairs.
The bald eagle was officially removed from the EPA’s endangered & threatened species list in 2007. They remain protected under the provisions of the federal Bald & Golden Eagle Protection Act, which forbids the “taking” of their nests, eggs, or parts (such as feathers).
There are an estimated 72,000-plus breeding pairs throughout the lower 48 states. But because the eagles reproduce at such a slow rate, they need to be continually monitored to ensure their protection. The Fish & Wildlife Service’s National Bald Eagle Management Guidelines describe the ways the eagles should be monitored and protected.
Citizen bird-watchers have an important role in this monitoring, including actively looking for and reporting bald eagle nests. Two ways to do this are through the Center for Conservation Biology and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
The Center for Conservation Biology’s mapping portal actively tracks bald eagle nests. This includes the 660-foot protective buffer around nests that is important to their protection.
The Cornell Lab’s Citizen Science program encourages everyone to monitor and record birds, including the bald eagle.
Any time a solar project is proposed in your county, you can help protect Virginia wildlife and birds. Check the CCB portal and actively engage with local birdwatchers to make sure each and every bald eagle nest is identified and logged with either CCB or eBird.