Kings County’s annual count finds record number of bald eagles
listen to this article
estimated 3 minutes
The audio version of this article has been generated by AI-based technology. There may be incorrect pronunciations. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve results.
The annual bald eagle count in Kings County, NS, recorded a record number of raptors this year.
The annual event, held each February, saw 605 bald eagles this year, more than double the number seen in 2023, when 265 birds were counted.
And this far exceeds the number of eagles recorded in the area in 1977. Only 22 birds were seen that year.
Organizer Søren Bondrup-Nielsen said the increase in visibility was the result of an environmental success story.
“When DDT pesticides were used, there were a lot of carcasses with DDT in them and the eagles would eat them and then they were poisoned by the DDT, which had an effect on the eggs,” Bondrup-Nielsen told CBC. main road.
DDT was mostly phased out in Canada in the 1970s. Now its use is illegal.
“So (bald eagles) numbers are increasing. They were threatened and they have definitely made a comeback,” Bondrup-Nielsen said.
Since DDT was banned, the bald eagle population has increased There was an annual increase of more than five percent across the country.
Naturalist Bondrup-Nielsen said eagle numbers in the Annapolis Valley fluctuate from year to year.
He said this year’s particularly cold winter may have contributed to the high numbers. They saw eagles eating Canada geese and the ducks that wintered in the Annapolis Valley and froze to death on the ice.
“Eagles are scavengers, so this was ideal for them,” he said.
Tally helps keep an eye on ecological health
Volunteers for the count spread out on pre-determined driving routes and record every bald eagle seen for an hour. Then they meet again and tally the results.
MainStreet NS10:42Record year for bald eagles in eastern Kings County
The Blomidon Naturalist Society counted a record-breaking number of bald eagles in eastern Kings County this winter. Producer (and Eagle Watching superfan) Jen Sponagale tells Jeff Douglas all about it.
The count only lasts for one hour to reduce the number of repeat views.
Bondrup-Nielsen said continuing the tradition is a way to keep an eye on the ecological health of the area and the way human activity has affected it.
And, he said, because of the proximity of Acadia University, the high population of naturalists in the area means there are plenty of willing volunteers.
“It’s part of our nature as naturalists,” he said.
more top stories
