Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1961-11-03
National Survey Shows
Bald Eagle Plight

There are probably fewer than
5000 bald eagles left alive in the
United States, exclusive of Alaska,
the National Audubon Society re
ported today.
The Society is now engaged in
the first attempt ever made to de-
bermlne how many eagles there
are and what can be done to halt
long decline in their numbers.
This is the bird that serves as our
national emblem and whose image
appears on the Great Seal of the
United States, on coins, and in
other official places.
An inventory of eagles in Alaska,
where a healthy population" is be-
lleved to exist, has not yet been
undertaken, according to Alexan-
der Sprunt w, the Society's re-
search director. The bald eagle
does not occur in Hawaii but shows
up, at least occasionally, in all the
other states.
In the first winter inventory
conducted last January with the
help of Federal and State wildlife
agencies and hundreds of local CO.
operators, a total of 3,642 eagles
was recorded in the 48 contiguous
states. These were mostly concen-
trated in three areas, B o 10 g g t
Sprunt reported at the Audubon
Society's 57th annual convention,
which opened today in Atlantic
City.
Ten states in the Middle West
had 1,790 wintering eagles, or 49
percent of the total. These states
were Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa.
Illinois, Missouri, South d a k o a
Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and
| Tennessee.
Four states in the Pacific North
st-Washington, Oregon, idaho
and Montana-had 742, or 20 per-
cent.
The third regional concentration
was in Florida, this one state lead
ing all the others with 1872, or 1C
percent of the 48-state total.
All the other states together had
766, or 81 percen.
Next to- Florida, the h g h S I
counts for individual states were
made in Illinois with BAT, Missouri
with 315, Oregon with 287, Okla
homa with PIG and South Dakota
with 263
The big rivers and reservoirs OF
the Mississippi Basin are an at
TRACTION to bald eagles, which are
primarily fish-eaters. A general
shift of the Midwest population
northward in early spring has been
observed, so a census of nesting
birds may show a different pat
tern of distribution between the
states. Many of the Midwest birds
probably nest in Canada.
Florida with it's well-w r &
Everglades and many lakes and
marshes, as we'll as it's long coast
line, has always been a bastion OF
the bald eagle. There the big birds
start egg-laying as early as Jan
uary. During the past season
breeding results were definitely
tabulated in 1873 of 1876 nests thai
were under observation. Only 73 Of
these nests produced young ant
the total number of 1861 progency
was 10Y.
Only seven active bald eagle
nests were found in New jersey
by the New Jersey Audubon So
city. From these seven nests only
single young bird was Pledged
From A nests under observa
ton in Michigan, only % youns
birds were produced. Florida, New
Jersey and Michigan are among THE
few states for which fairly com
plete breeding bird studies have
been received to date, Mr.. Sprun
said In all three the findings seen
to confirm earlier fears that TO
reasons unknown, bald eagle re
production is below normal. 1t il
hoped that later research will turn
up the answers.
The National Audubon Society,"
continental bald eagle survey ant
research project, started last au
tumn, is scheduled to run for fiv'
years At the end of the study tn,
Society expects to have the Scien
tific basis for a conservation pro
gram that will keep the great
white-headed birds permanent.
among Americas living wildlife.
The second mid-winter inventor.
will be taken in January Biolo
gist Sprunt hopes more thorough
cOverage in all the states will turf
up a larger total than the 1854
counted last winter Agents of tn
u. S. Fish and Wildlife Serrvic'
and the various State game depart
ments will count eagles while the,
are making the regular aeria
waterfowl inventory. Their cover
age will be supplemented by TIL
work of state and local Audubon
groups and Ornithological sOci