Seeing Bald Eagles in Warrick County
The other day, I was driving through Warrick County when I looked up and spotted a giant bird gliding through the sky. It had the signature white head and tail. It was a bald eagle! I still get a little excited when I see them, even though they aren’t super rare anymore, which is a good thing.
History of Bald Eagles in Indiana
Bald eagles have been the national bird of the United States since 1782. They nested in Indiana until around 1890, but their populations declined rapidly due to habitat loss and human pressures.
By 1940, the government acted to protect them. The Bald Eagle Protection Act made it illegal to kill or disturb eagles. However, the use of the pesticide DDT in the 1950s and 60s caused reproductive failure and thin eggs, leading to further population declines.
In 1972, DDT was banned, and in 1973, bald eagles were among the first species listed under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Indiana Bald Eagle Reintroduction Program
In 1985, the Indiana Nongame & Endangered Wildlife Program began the Bald Eagle Reintroduction Program. According to the Indiana DNR, seventy-three eaglets, seven to eight weeks old, were obtained from Wisconsin and Alaska between 1985 and 1989…