Time to pay tribute to our national emblem — the Bald Eagle

by Jade Wright

In 1782 it was formally adopted as our national emblem. At that time there were over 20,000 nesting pairs in the United States. Victims of human encroachment, habitat destruction, environmental contamination, and open persecution. By the late 1800’s the number of nesting pairs was reduced to 3,000. As the fighting abroad continues; I find it only appropriate to pay tribute to the symbol of our country’s strength and freedom, one of God’s finer creations, the bald eagle.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson once wrote the following poem about the eagle:

He clasps the craig with hooked hands,

Close to the sun in lonely lands;

The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;

Ring’d with the azure world, he stands, He watches from the mountain walls,

And like a thunderbolt he falls.

However descriptive Alfred, Lord Tennyson was, there is much more to learn about the eagle. Here are a few interesting facts about bald eagles!

The name “bald” is a bit confusing. Bald refers to the old English word “balde” meaning white – rather than without feathers. The scientific name, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, means white-headed sea eagle. An eagle’s eyesight is five to six times sharper than a human’s. The prominent brow shades the eyes for keener vision. Their hooked beak is used for tearing flesh. Fish compose 60 to 90 percent of the bald eagle diet, and dead or injured wildlife are often eaten in the winter. Prey animals weigh from 3 to 5 pounds, at most. An eagle would have difficulty carrying anything even one-half its own weight, making the myth of eagles carrying off human babies or calves sound absurd.

Bald eagles have lived up to 50 years in captivity. In the wild, eagles may only live up to 30 years. One of the largest birds of prey in the world, bald eagles have 6 ½ to 8 foot wingspan and are 3 to 3 ½ feet tall, weighing 8 to 15 pounds. Adult eagles will usually produce two white eggs (and sometimes three) in March or April each year. Both parents incubate the eggs for 34 to 40 days. By 10 to 11 weeks of age, eaglets are feathered, nearly full grown and able to fly from the nest. Eagles prefer large sycamore trees to build their nests in. Each year, the pair adds to the nest and it can become the largest of any North American bird. The national record is 20 feet deep and 10 feet wide, weighing an estimated 2 tons! In Missouri nests are usually smaller because of the size of our trees.

The distinctive white head and tail mark an adult – a sexually mature bird that is at least four to five years old. Younger birds vary from solid dark brown to mottled brown and white plumage. Males and females are colored alike. Eagles fly 20 to 40 miles per hour in normal flight, but can reach speeds of more than 100 miles per hour while diving. Powerful feet with needle-sharp, 2-inch talons are used to take prey. How powerful, try over 5 times stronger than most men. At 2,500 lbs./sq. in., they possess enough strength in their feet to drive a nail!

Now that you know so much about eagles, maybe you would like to hunt one the next eagle season and have it mounted? The federal Eagle Protection Act of 1975 makes it a felony to shoot an eagle. Persons convicted of killing a bald or golden eagle are subject to a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment up to one year, or both. Subsequent violations may result in fines up to $10,000, two years in jail or both. It is also illegal to possess an eagle alive or dead, or any eagle parts or products. Maybe you should just stick to snipe hunting!

This past Friday, I attended eagle days at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge in Mound City, Missouri. At that time there were an estimated 48 bald eagles on the refuge. Before the year is up they expect over 200 of these majestic creatures. If you missed the eagle days at Squaw Creek, but would like to attend one and see a live eagle up close, here is the schedule of eagle days throughout the state:

January 5 & 6 @ Willmore Lodge, Lake of the Ozarks; January 12 & 13 @ Paradise Pointe Golf Complex on Smithville Lake; January 19 & 20 @ Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, St. Louis; January 26 & 27 @ Lock and Dam 24, Apple Shed Theater, Clarksville; February 2 & 3 @ Springfield Conservation Nature Center, Springfield.