Recognizing the national bird, the bald eagle

In a month when we celebrate our nation’s independence, it seems appropriate to recognize our national bird, the bald eagle.

This majestic species is found on the great seal of the United States and was chosen as our national bird despite Ben Franklin’s preference for the turkey. Ben correctly pointed out that the eagle is a scavenger and eats carrion.

In Ben’s day, in 1776, there were some 100,000 bald eagles in the United States. That number plunged to about 1,000 in 1963, thanks to widespread use of DDT and shooting of eagles by hunters. Thankfully, the bald eagle has recovered and today there are over 10,000 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states.

One area of concentration is Klamath Falls, Oregon. At the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge, there are some 1,000 wintering eagles and an eagle festival is held each February.

The last eagle I saw in this area was on a boat ride on Lake Buchanan, where one flew from a lakeside cliff.

The bald eagle has a wingspan of up to seven feet and its sharp talons are well designed for capturing and carrying fish. Its sharp beak easily tears flesh apart. If fish are scarce, the bald eagle will chow down on ducks, coots, auklets and mammals such as jackrabbits and muskrats.

The head of the bald eagle does not turn fully white until it is five years old. It has special bumps on its feet to help it hold on to slippery fish.

A high-spirited bird, the bald eagle will play with another eagle by tossing sticks back and forth in mid-air. It also delights in stealing fish from the hard-working osprey.

All in all, I am quite content that Ben Franklin did not succeed in having the turkey selected as our national bird. It would not seem right to be eating our national bird every Thanksgiving.