American Bald Eagle

Why in news?

• The American Bald Eagle was removed from the United States list of endangered species in 2007.
• A 2021 report by the US Fish and Wildlife Service said that the number of bald eagles in the wild has quadrupled since 2009. Few decades back the bird was on the verge of extinction

About American Bald Eagle:

• The bald eagle’s natural range covers most of North America, including most of Canada, all of the continental US, and northern Mexico.
• It is the only sea eagle endemic to North America.

Characteristics:  

• The average life span of bald eagles is 20 to 30 years.
• Bald eagles build their nests at the very top of tall trees so the eggs will be safe.
• Female bald eagles are a bit bigger than the males.
• Feeding Pattern        Besides live fish, bald eagles also prey on other birds, small mammals, snakes, turtles, and crabs, and they readily eat carrion (decaying flesh of dead animals).

Threats:

• Hunting:
  • Bald eagles began to be seen as a threat to livestock, especially domestic chickens and started to be hunted.
  • They were also hunted for their feathers.
• Habitat destruction:
  • Widespread use of DDT led to their population decline
  • Water bodies were soon contaminated with DDT due to its use as an insecticide, which in turn contaminated the fish in them. The chemical would enter the bald eagles’ bloodstream when they would eat these fish.
  • DDT resulted in female eagles laying extremely thin-shelled eggs, leading to nesting failures.

About DDT:

• DDT or dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane was first synthesised in 1874.
• However, it was in 1939 that it was first promoted as an insecticide and began to be used to kill malaria-carrying mosquitos and agricultural pests.
• By the mid to late 1940s, DDT was being widely used for agriculture across the US.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane), sometimes seen in news, is widely used as:

(a) Insecticide in agriculture

(b) Water purifier

(c) Cleansing agent in cosmetics

(d) Leavening agent in baking

Answer