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Celebrating the bald eagle's amazing comeback from near extinction. If you want to see a bald eagle, there aren't many places better than Missouri. Our state welcomes record numbers of bald eagles each winter. It has some of the most spectacular viewing in all of the lower 48 states. If you want to see a bald eagle, there aren't many places better than Missouri. Our state welcomes record numbers of bald eagles each winter. It has some of the most spectacular viewing in all of the lower 48 states. Early explorers and settlers reported seeing lots of bald eagles and their nests. Both are easy to spot. Bald eagles can have a wingspan of up to 7 feet, and their nests in big trees might be as big as 6 feet in diameter and weigh several hundred pounds. However, eagle numbers steadily declined as people shot them because they thought they were a threat to livestock. Many states even paid cash bounties for dead eagles. At the same time, many big trees near rivers and lakes were cut. Eagles needed these trees for nests and for places to perch while hunting. Pesticides, especially one known as DDT, almost caused eagles to become extinct. DDT found its way into the food chain. Because eagles were at the top of the food chain, they accumulated a lot of DDT in their bodies. The poisoning caused them to lay eggs with shells so thin they were crushed by the weight of the parents. In the early 1970s, there were only about 80 to 90 breeding pairs in the lower 48 states. Eagles gained protection when they were declared an endangered species in 1967. DDT was banned in 1972. The ban encouraged agencies and organizations to work toward restoring populations by releasing young eagles into suitable habitat. The eagles steadily gained ground. Biologists now estimate there are more than 10,000 nesting pairs of eagles in the U.S. Last January, biologists counted more than 2,200 bald eagles in Missouri. Although only about 90 pairs of bald eagles nest in the state, the big birds move along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers as lakes in Canada and the Great Lakes Region freeze. The eagles cluster around wetlands, lakes and rivers. Many of them winter here in Missouri, feeding on fish. To celebrate the success of the bald eagle, the Missouri Department of Conservation holds Eagle Days annually at locations around Missouri. Eagle Days events are timed to take advantage of the time when eagles are most numerous in the state. Going to an Eagles Days events is a great way to learn about eagles and to see America's majestic national symbol in the wild. Kids really enjoy Eagle Days. In the big garage at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge near Mound City, for example, the live eagle show draws about 250 students. Patriot, an 8-year-old bald eagle used in programs by the World Bird Sanctuary of St. Louis, is always a featured attraction at Eagle Days events. Most kids can't hold back a "Wow!" when Patriot lifts its wings to fly.
Teachers, parents and classrooms have teamed up with the Department of Conservation to make Eagle Days a great adventure. Before attending Eagle Days, students research different birds of prey, including habitats, nests and wingspans. The high point of these studies is a trip to Eagle Days to see a live eagle program and see bald eagles. "I saw a bald eagle eating a fish," reported Kaitlin Allison, a fifth grader from Franklin Smith Elementary in Blue Springs. "It was up in a tree and it had the fish in its talons, pulling it apart. I took a picture of it!" "To see a bald eagle in the wild has the greatest impact on students," said Sally Bell, science and reading teacher at Franklin Smith Elementary. "This is absolutely an awesome trip. The amount of learning that takes place is amazing." Bald eagle viewing and research are an exciting part of classroom study in schools throughout the state. Classes build life-size eagle nests, along with wetland dioramas, totem poles and flying eagle models out of recycled bottles. "We use it (Eagle Days) as a three-week process," Bell explained. "This week we are working on 'The Hall of Eagles' and wetlands and learning about migration and ecosystems. Next week we will take students through 'The Hall of Eagles,' with the students acting like docents (giving tours) in a mini museum." Jeremy Riley, a fifth-grader, studies his notes. He is standing in front of a table covered with small wetlands made in cake pans. He goes over his talk as a group of first-graders come down the hall. The fifth-graders are eagle ambassadors and pass along the bald eagle story to other classes. The younger students move from station to station in "The Hall of the Eagles," learning about eagle laws, eagle characteristics, wildlife myths, wingspans, eagle nests and--Jeremy's topic --wetlands. Riley repeats his speech about eagles and wetlands to several groups of younger students. "It was scary at first," he said at the end of the morning, "But it's fun. Now I want to do it all day." Eagle Days have become an important part of the bald eagle story. Through
Eagle Days events, Missourians have become more aware of eagles and the
laws that protect them. Every year more and more students are learning
the importance of bald eagles, as well as the importance of good habitat
to eagles and other wildlife. What was once a dim future for the bald
eagle is now shining bright.
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