About the Bald Eagle

The recovery of the Bald Eagle in the United States is one of the great wildlife conservation success stories of our time. Populations in the lower 48 states were as low as 450 nesting pairs in the 1960's when they were identified as an endangered species because of dramatic population declines associated with pesticide poisoning, especially from DDT and DDE. Populations began to recover after these pesticides were banned in 1972, and the birds and their nesting habitats were given greater protection under the Endangered Species Act in 1973. Restoring the Bald Eagle required the dedicated efforts of State, Federal, and private conservation organizations over the next 30 years. Bald Eagles were down-listed to Threatened in 1995. They were removed from the Endangered Species list in 2007. Today populations have grown to an estimated 9,789 nesting pairs. Populations in North Carolina have increased from a single breeding pair in 1984 to over 70 breeding pairs in 2005. There are currently 7 active nests on Jordan Lake. The breeding pair we are monitoring has fledged 17 chicks since 2002.

Citizen Science

We invite you to participate in a Citizen Science project aimed at learning more about the behavior and feeding ecology of Bald Eagles at Jordan Lake. Please help us document the species of fish and other prey items delivered to the nest, and the feeding rates of the chicks, by posting your observations to our Facebook page. Be sure to note the start and stop time of each observation session in your Facebook posting. If you see a new prey item delivered to the nest, note the date and time, and try identify the prey to the best of your ability. This Jordan Lake Fish Key will help you identify prey items. Thanks to Duane Raver and the USFWS for these images. Similarly, if you observe the adults feeding the chicks note the date, time, and prey item, and include descriptions of any interesting behaviors you observe. We will post periodic summaries of the observations to our Facebook page.

WANTED: People With Birdwatching Hobbies

We need your help with a new National Science Foundation sponsored research study that will investigate characteristics and educational experiences of people who are active in science hobbies. More and more people are engaging in science hobbies and schools and science centers would like to know more about characteristics of science hobbyists and how organizations might better support hobbyists' networking and education. Hobbyists can be a wonderful asset to communities and support for science across the county. Please consider volunteering to participate in an interview and/or to complete a survey about your birdwatching interests and background. Participation is voluntary and information you share will not be reported by name and will be anonymous. For participating in an interview we will provide you with a $10 Target gift card and if you complete the survey you will be in a drawing for a $100 gift card. To sign up go to our Survey page. If you have questions contact Vanessa Stevens at vcsteven@ncsu.edu .