Date: Fri 09-Jul-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

eagles-endangered-species

Full Text:

Bald Eagles See National Resurgence, But Not In Connecticut

BY JEFF WHITE

In a White House ceremony Friday, July 2, the bald eagle's impending flight

from the Federal Endangered Species List (FESL) was announced. Connecticut

wildlife experts, however, say that the eagle population has to grow

significantly for the bird to be taken off the state's endangered species

list.

"The criteria is five breeding pairs in Connecticut for the bird to be moved

from the endangered to the threatened species list," said Department of

Environmental Protection (DEP) wildlife biologist Julie Victoria.

Over the past few years, only two pairs of eagles have nested in Connecticut.

The greatest threat to the eagles is destruction of their habitats, according

to Ms Victoria. Eagles thrive in solitude, "which is hard to find on

Connecticut waterways."

Bald eagles have only seen a resurgence since 1973, due to the implementation

of the Endangered Species Act. Prior to that, the eagle population had been

depleted from as many as 500,000 in the late 18th Century to 417 in 1963. The

dwindling numbers were attributed to hunting, habitat destruction, and loss of

prey. Today, the eagle population has swelled to 5,800 breeding pairs in the

United States.

Bald eagles in Connecticut have not seen such a resurgence. The 1950s were the

last time that eagles nested in large numbers in the wilderness areas of the

state. In recent times, two eagles were hatched in northwestern Connecticut in

1992.

Currently, the two eagle nests in the state are in Barkhamsted and Suffield.

In the Northeast of the United States, eagles tend to breed during the spring

months. Because of the open water along the coast, Connecticut is well suited

for late winter and early spring breeding times. As many as 100 eagles have

been sighted during that time.

One of the largest concentrations of eagles in Connecticut can be found during

the winter months at the Shepaug dam, where Northeast Utilities has an

observation area.

"We have eagles here all year long, but they're not necessarily the ones

breeding here in [the spring]," DEP wildlife biologist Jenny Dixon told the

Associated Press. She said that if the eagles' status is to shift from

endangered to threatened in Connecticut, several more pairs of birds will need

to begin nesting in the state.

Connecticut's goal was to have ten breeding eagle pairs by the time the

federal government proposed to remove the eagle from the FESL. It fell

drastically short, according to Ms Victoria.

While the Connecticut eagle population is only creeping upward, other New

England states, such as Maine, have witnessed flourishing eagle populations,

which allowed the region to meet required numbers of nesting eagles by the

time of the federal proposal to remove the bird from the FESL, Ms Victoria

said.

The bald eagle is not off the FESL yet. The proposal still needs to undergo

various hearings, according to Ms Victoria. "It's going to take about a year

for the eagle to get off the [federal] list," she said.

The prospect has local naturalists and bird enthusiasts feeling mixed

emotions. "It's exciting to have a success story, but I only hope that [the

lifting] is not premature," said Sally O'Neil, president of the Lillinonah

chapter of the Connecticut Audubon Society.

Ms O'Neil feared that the announcement had been made before eagle populations

significantly exceeded required quotas across the country. She worried that

the birds would still be too susceptible to habitat infringement. "I'm excited

that they made a comeback, but I think there would be a lot of ramifications

if the birds came off the Connecticut list," she said.

The Connecticut Audubon Society plans to celebrate the bird next year with its

first Bald Eagle Festival. Scheduled for February 19-20 in Essex, the festival

will include eagle cruises, lectures and other educational activities.

Proceeds will help benefit Audubon programs and DEP eagle management programs.

Ms Victoria remains confident that the eagle population will grow in

Connecticut in the near future. "I think eventually we will meet our goal, but

it won't be over the next few years."

(This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.)