by Barbara Masoner, volunteer for the Audubon Society of Greater Denver
What animal could be more symbolic of the Fourth of July than the bald eagle? These birds appear on our currency, our national seal, the seal of the president of the United States and many U.S. federal agencies’ logos. Eagles have long symbolized strength and patriotism. However, some of our forefathers were not so keen on having bald eagles on our nation’s seal.
Benjamin Franklin called the bald eagle a “bird of bad moral character” and a “rank coward.” These majestic birds have the bad habit of stealing prey from other birds, and Franklin didn’t want our young nation being associated with thieves. Rather, Franklin suggested wild turkeys be on the United States’ seal. Turkeys lost out to eagles by only one congressional vote. Regardless of the eagle’s opportunistic habit, they have admirable qualities and are fascinating to watch.
Most people know bald eagles aren’t bald. What many might not know is this eagle’s name is derived from the Old English word “balde,” which means white. The adults are easy to identify thanks to that white head and white tail which contrast against their dark brown bodies. On the other hand, juveniles can be confused with golden eagles as both species have overall brown coloring. The main difference is juvenile bald eagles have white on their bellies and wings. And, juvenile balds develop bright yellow eyes around age three. It often takes another two years before they reach maturity and thus have the distinct white head and tail markings.
Bald eagles build the largest nests of any North American bird. Each year the nesting pair will add more material to the nest, and nests can contain several hundred pounds of sticks and other vegetation. One nest was used for over 35 years! Because eagles prefer quiet spots for nesting, they seldom will be seen in busy city parks. Thus, the chances of spotting a bald eagle in one of our city parks is pretty slim.
Bald eagles can be found year round in Colorado. A spring migration corridor for many birds of prey is the Dakota Hogback Natural Area west of Morrison, Colorado, located off Interstate 70 near Colorado Highway 26. Thousands of raptors can be seen on this ridge during an eight week period starting in mid-March.
Additionally, in summer both Barr Lake and Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge are home to pairs of eagles tending to their young. In the past few winters we have even had bald eagles visit both Washington Park and City Park. They can be seen close to the lakes looking for their favorite food, fish.
Not so long ago bald eagles were not so easy to find. In fact, they were close to extinction. Their numbers dropped drastically due to the use of pesticides and the presence of heavy metals in the environment. These pollutants made eagles’ eggshells so thin they would break long before the eaglets hatched.
In 1940 the U.S. Congress passed the Bald Eagle Protection Act in order to protect our nation’s symbol. The law has been strengthened twice since then. The protections these laws provided allowed eagle populations to recover, and in 2007 eagles were removed from the endangered species list. This conservation success is a great lesson in how to save species from extinction.
Despite the bald eagle’s rocky reputation with our forefathers, most Americans are now thrilled by a sighting of these powerful birds. We’re fortunate to have so many in easy view in our state.
