Few things are as iconically American as the bald eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) . Though it became the national bird of the United States in 1782 , human influence include overhunting , overfishing , DDT poisoning , and habitat destruction drove number down significantly . Through decade of consecrate conservation , the bald eagle bounce from being imperil in the mid-1900s to being recategorized as Least Concern back in 2007 . This is an unbelievable feat , but does it imply the barefaced eagle is really out of danger ?
Matthew Wills penned a short essay in JSTOR Daily entitled“Bald eagle Are Back From The Brink,”in which he describes the decline and subsequent comeback of the bald-pated eagle during the twentieth century . Wills includes the fact that bald eagles have been seen in New York City near the Hudson River as a sign that things are meliorate .
“ That ’s the good news program . But these big doll are n’t out the woods yet ; threats and challenges abound , ” Wills write in hisessay . “ While DDT is cast out in the U.S. , other toxin like hydrargyrum and wind keep on to frustrate them . In low-toned than black amount , they can cause behavioural changes , neurological damage , and reduced replication success . ”
So , though barefaced eagle number might look safe now , that might not always be the case . In add-on to the threat discover by testament as a result of befoulment , bald-pated eaglesand other birds present another large , looming menace : climate change .
A report bear by theNational Audubon Societythat was released in September express that 126 species of bird could lose half of their reach by 2050 , with another 188 species in danger of losing their homes by 2080 . While this sure as shooting is n’t good news , it ’s a prediction , not a definite sentence . Continued protection for denuded eagles , specially of their breeding situation , could assist support their numbers .
“ One thing is sure , though , ” Wills continued , “ you fend a far better probability today of seeing one of these majestic creatures than masses did 40 age ago . ”
Though bald-pated eagles might be the national skirt of the United States , it ’s not the only iconic avian out there . The footstep that will help preserve the reach and populations of bald eagle for generation to occur can also be applied to other iconic American fowl , such as the Baltimore Oriole , Greater Sage - Grouse , Spotted Owl , and Common Loon , among others .
If you ’d wish to memorise more about current threats to American birds , admit synergistic function and more , please clickhere .
