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Bald Eagles Soar in Iowa

blake

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NEWS!

From the Iowa DNR:


Bald Eagles Soar in Iowa


The bald eagle has made a tremendous comeback in Iowa. The Iowa DNR has on record at least 254 bald eagle nests that have been active within the last couple years. This is compared to exactly one nest in 1977, which was the first after more than 70 years. All these nests do pose a bit of a problem for the DNR. Keeping track of 254 known nests, and likely more, is a lot harder than the 50 nests from not that long ago.

"In the 1990s we had a pretty good idea of where all the eagle nests were and what was going on with them. Now with the number of nests tripled, the nests we are aware of are likely just the tip of the iceberg and we have little data on how successful and productive those nests are," said Stephanie Shepherd, wildlife diversity biologist with the Iowa DNR.

Shepherd is coordinating an effort to get a better handle on Iowa's eagle nesting population.

But why, if things are going so well for eagles, is there a need for better monitoring of their nests? The eagle is an important species to our country, and it is still vulnerable, Sheppard said. Its recovery is a resounding success story. It has been taken off the Federal Endangered Species List and has been upgraded from Endangered to Special Concern here in Iowa. But as protections are relaxed, it is important to keep a sharp eye on a species, particularly one that still faces some challenges.

The first challenge, loss of habitat, has been around for many years and continues to be a problem. Eagles have very specific criteria when choosing a nesting site; typically near water (food source) and in a tree large enough to hold their potentially 1 to 2 ton nest which they return and add to each year. They also prefer to nest somewhere there is not a lot of human activity, though eagles have been showing some signs of adapting to greater activity around their nesting sites.

In addition, bald eagles have a number of reproductive traits that make them vulnerable - they nest only once per year and if that nesting attempt is disturbed, the eagle pair almost always loses its only chance for that year. An eagle nest in Iowa produces an average of 1.5 chicks each year, and these young birds take 4 to 5 years to reach breeding age.

Finally, young and adult eagles alike face many dangers from lead poisoning to collisions with power lines and cars.

"We hope in the next two years to start getting a better handle on Iowa's eagle nesting success in Iowa and we hope to get some help with that from Iowans," Shepherd said.

The DNR is looking for a few dedicated citizens that might enjoy "adopting" one of 54 pre-chosen eagle nests and becoming an official monitor.

"People who are interested can attend one of the three training workshops we have scheduled in Jasper, Woodbury and Page counties, or if they are experienced wildlife observers and have a pair of Binoculars (or preferably a scope) they should just contact me," she said.

More information about this opportunity can be found on the wildlife diversity page under "Reporting Bald Eagles": http://www.iowadnr.gov/wildlife/diversity/ or contact Stephanie Shepherd at 515-432-2823 or stephanie.shepherd@dnr.iowa.gov.




 
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