This is why bald eagle sightings have increased across Alberta
In southeast Calgary’s Carburn Park, local naturalist Brian Keating took practically no time to spot two bald eagles perched on a river bank.
“They’ve been nesting in this part of Calgary for years,” Keating said of this particular pair. “And it’s absolutely guaranteed that you will see an eagle when you come to this park.”
Seeing bald eagles in Calgary is no surprise to Keating, who says the Bow River provides an ideal habitat for them to live in the city year-round.
And seeing the iconic birds of prey with their unmistakeable feathers is becoming more common across the province as eagles expand their habitat and their populations grow due to conservation efforts.
What do bald eagles bring to Alberta?
From the banks of the Bow River to the depths of the grasslands, bald eagles can be found practically anywhere in Alberta.
At the Alberta Birds of Prey Foundation Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Coaldale, Managing Director Colin Weir works directly with bald eagles and other birds of prey that have come from across the province.
“When I first came here in the ’80s, the only place you could really see bald eagles in Alberta was close to mountain rivers and lakes,” he said.
“But over the last 10 years or so, we’ve actually seen a big increase in their expansion along prairie rivers.”
Weir said the province’s bald eagle population is made up of year-round residents like the birds Found in Calgary every winter, ad Migratory birds that nest in places like Banff but spend the winter in warmer parts of the continent.
“The rivers of southern Alberta provide exceptional nesting habitat for these birds,” Weir said. “For example, with fish and migratory ducks as big sources of food.”
they are also found unexpected placeSuch as in fields away from any major body of water.
“They basically live around some agricultural areas,” Weir said, pointing to the possibility of dead animals on farms and pastures. “Sometimes, bald eagles are scavengers, they eat them.”
When it comes to bald eagles in and around Calgary, Keating pointed to the results of the latest local Christmas Bird Count, a citizen science initiative in which people count how many birds they find in a particular area for conservation and population monitoring purposes. Total: more than 400.
“This was unheard of just a few decades ago,” Keating said.
Conservation Success Story
nature calculationA platform that compiles data from wildlife sightings and population trends through citizen science suggests that bald eagle populations are increasing across North America.
Most of the population recovered after bald eagles were declared endangered by the United States government. Species in the 1970s.
Although it has been America’s national bird since 1782, the bald eagle was long viewed as a nuisance and killed in large numbers.
“They were hunted and shot because of the disbelief that they took animals such as baby sheep,” Keating said. “And it does happen, but it’s as rare as it can be.”
In Alaska, a bounty was placed on bald eagles from 1917 to 1952, resulting in the killing of more than 120,000 birds. The bald eagle bounty was removed a few years before Alaska became a state.
Long-standing persecution also harmed Canada’s bald eagle population, as many birds spend time between the two countries as part of their migration.
Through conservation initiatives – Canadian bald eagles are being brought to the states Thanks to breeding, the banning of the highly destructive pesticide DDT in both countries, and Congress making it illegal for anyone in the US to kill bald eagles in 1940, to name a few examples, the species has experienced a dramatic resurgence throughout North America.
By 2022, the population across the continent is projected to increase by more than 600 percent since 1970. The bald eagle has now been removed from the endangered species list.
Birds Canada data shows the country is home to 110,000 bald eagles.
Thousands of eagles have flocked to the Fraser Valley. The birds gather in the Harrison Mills area to feed on salmon as part of the annual migration. Our made-up britches went to see the seasonal spectacle.
Keating has witnessed that resurgence firsthand over the years, saying that “50, 60 years ago, it was almost impossible to find. So I think we have to remember that there can be success stories.”
Despite their population resurgence and dedicated conservation efforts, Canadian bald eagles continue to face threats.
Alberta’s Wildlife Act prohibits the hunting and harassment of bald eagles and other birds of prey in the province, although this has not stopped them. being targeted by hunters.
Beyond poaching, Keating says habitat loss And environmental pollution is a serious threat to birds like the bald eagle.
“The problem we have now is lead,” he said, calling it a “seriously toxic” substance to bald eagles.
This comes from exposure to the substance from bald eagle prey through predators. shooting animals with lead ammunitionWhich pollutes the carcasses and has the potential to kill the eagles that feed on those remains, as well as fish exposed to lead fishing lures.
