Contacts
Bruce Woods (907) 786-3695
Phil Schempf (907) 586-7331
Most Alaskans understand that feeding bears, or even leaving food or trash in an area where a bear can find it, is dangerous to both people and animals. We know that when bruins are habituated to easy pickings they can lose their fear of humans. If they then become aggressive, they’ll all too often end up dead. It’s surprising, then, that some individuals continue to carelessly feed another large predator with a taste for easy handouts: the bald eagle. Just as is the case with bears, feeding eagles, or leaving garbage where the big raptors can find it, can be hazardous to the eagles and to people around them.
When these huge birds (an adult may weigh more than 15 pounds and sport a 7-foot wingspan) are drawn into urban settings by the promise of an easy meal, they face a number of risks that aren’t present in the wild. Eagles that concentrate near busy roads are sometimes struck by vehicles or cause accidents. Diseases can spread quickly through these gatherings, as well, and may be transmitted to eagles by such urban birds as ducks, pigeons, gulls and ravens.
"Power lines are among the biggest threats to eagles lured into settled areas," says U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Jill Birchell, who has been investigating eagle deaths in Alaska for the past 7 years. Since 1988, 680 eagles in Alaska are known to have been electrocuted as a result of contact with power lines or high-voltage components on utility poles. People who feed eagles often add to this risk by luring the birds close to such hazards. In one instance, a particularly persistent eagle feeder refused to stop doing so even after Fish and Wildlife Service officers showed her an electrocuted eagle, its dead talons still clutching a turkey drumstick handout, as evidence of the harm she was causing. Nationwide, collisions with vehicles, power lines, or other structures, are the most frequent cause of death in both eagle species (23% of bald and 27% of golden).
However, eagles, lured by the promise of an easy meal, have also died after being accidentally trapped in dumpsters and have been compacted along with the trash in dump trucks. The birds have been injured and even killed while squabbling over fish scraps or bait left on the decks of fishing boats. The National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin, documents causes of eagle deaths on their web site at: http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/noframe/b213.htm.
In an effort to solve the growing problem, some communities have passed ordinances prohibiting eagle feeding. Others are burning and baling their trash, putting lids on dumpsters, keeping boat decks free of waste, and generally making once-abundant sources of garbage unavailable to eagles. If trash or handouts are no longer easy to get, urbanized eagles will eventually disperse and return to their natural food sources.
If you find an injured eagle (or any other bird), contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, or city police. In some coastal communities, such as Dutch Harbor/Unalaska, trained volunteers are available to assist with injured birds. These individuals work in cooperation with the Bird Treatment and Learning Center in Anchorage and other authorized bird rehabilitation centers to assess the bird's injuries and provide the proper care.
If, on the other hand, you find a dead eagle, hawk, raven, crow or magpie, or a group of dead birds, consult the State of Alaska Department of Epidemiology 2003 West Nile Virus Bulletin, at http://www.akepi.org/bulletins/docs/b2003_09.pdf, to determine if, and how, to best report the carcass for examination. If the bird appears to have died under suspicious circumstances, including electrocution or gunshot, contact U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Law Enforcement in Anchorage at (907) 271-2828 or, in Fairbanks, at (907) 456-2335. Remember that it is illegal, under the Migratory Bird Protection Act, to possess feathers or parts of eagles or other migratory birds.
You can subscribe to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Region listserver, to have our press releases sent to your e-mail address automatically, by sending an e-mail message to: listserv@www.fws.gov. Please indicate that you would like to subscribe to FWS-Alaska news and give your name in the body of the message.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 542 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
- FWS
For more information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,visit our home page at http://www.fws.gov
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