Charleston, South Carolina

AMERICAN BALD EAGLE

American Bald eagle / Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Few animals hold as much symbolism or generate as much excitement and emotion as eagles. Strength, courage, honor, majesty and freedom are all characteristics that have been represented by eagles around the world for thousands of years. Many of the founding fathers of the United States agreed in 1782 that the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) was the ideal symbol to represent their young country because of its great strength and spirit. The feathers of North America’s other eagle, the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), were and are still powerful symbols of strength for many Native Americans who believe that the feathers will bring strength and safety in battle.

Despite their status as symbols of freedom and strength, neither of North America’s two eagle species has been free from persecution. Benjamin Franklin referred to the Bald Eagle as “a bird of bad moral character” who “does not get his living honestly” referring to the eagle’s habit of stealing fish from the smaller osprey (Pandion haliaetus). Early depictions of eagles carrying small children, while clearly fictitious, created a fear and misunderstanding that led to the killing of thousands of eagles in some cases for large bounties. This direct persecution as well as the impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation and the widespread use of pesticides such as DDT caused declines in North America’s eagle and other raptor populations to dangerously low levels in the middle of the last century.

Fortunately, sentiments toward eagles and other raptors took a positive turn before it was too late for many species. By 1962, both the Bald and Golden Eagle were protected by federal law and by the mid 1970’s the use of DDT was banned in much of North America. These changes, in combination with more considerate land use planning have allowed many raptor populations including those of the Bald and Golden Eagle to recover to stable or growing levels.

In South Carolina, the Bald Eagle is the largest raptor with the exception of the rare Golden Eagle. They can be identified by their large size, flat profile while soaring and gliding (in contrast to the “V” shaped profile of the similarly sized Turkey Vulture (Cathatres aura) as well as the characteristic white head and tail of the adult. The Bald Eagle’s preference for fish makes the state’s coastal and riverine areas the perfect habitat. In fact, more than 50 percent of the state’s eagle population is found in the coastal zone. Many Bald Eagles utilize the rich resources of coastal SC to support the needs of their growing young. The eagles build large stick nests in tall, live trees near the water. Since the same nests are utilized year after year, they can often grow to enormous sizes with diameters over 3 meters and weights of over a ton!

Like the rest of North America, South Carolina saw drastic reductions of Bald Eagles due to persecution, pesticide use and habitat loss. While some estimate historic levels of nesting eagles in SC at 500 or more pairs, a survey of active nests in 1977 identified only 13 remaining eagle pairs. This precipitous decline and others like it throughout the bird’s range led to the inclusion of the Bald Eagle on the endangered species list when it was created in 1973. Today, more than 220 active nests have been identified in South Carolina and the Bald Eagle has been delisted throughout most of its range.

Unfortunately, the removal of the Bald Eagle from the endangered species list did not signal the end of problems for the species. Bald eagles still face a host of problems in SC as well as throughout their range. Every year, The Center for Birds of Prey in Charleston, SC treats Bald Eagles with a host of human related injuries including gunshots, poisoning and injuries caused by collisions with cars. In recent years, the Center has also treated several eagles for barbiturate poisoning caused by the ingestion of animals euthanized with Phenobarbital and disposed of in area landfills. As scavengers as well as hunters, Bald Eagles are often seen feeding in landfills and they unfortunately cannot differentiate between animals that have been euthanized or poisoned and those that have died in other ways. The Center has also treated several eagles for symptoms of a disease called Avian Vacuolar Myelinopathy (AVM) which is transmitted through waterfowl on the state’s manmade reservoirs. While the full nature of this condition is not yet understood, it is known that the disease is most often fatal to the eagle.

The recovery of the Bald Eagle in North America can be considered one of the great successes in modern wildlife conservation as well as a great example of how fickle public opinion of an animal can be. What was once considered a threat to game animals and even children and was therefore hunted for bounty and brought to dangerously low population levels is now no longer endangered or threatened in much of its range. In 30 years, a relative blink in terms of natural populations, the Bald Eagle has grown from a rare sighting in the SC Lowcountry to an everyday staple in many coastal communities. While they are certainly not free from threats, we can all take a moment to enjoy the sight of such a powerful and majestic symbol chasing an osprey attempting to pirate its catch.