Bald Eagles and Habitat Conservation Eagleye Nye has spent most of his adult life trying to save a once healthy population of bald eagles from extinction. In his work he has netted, tagged and cared for hundreds of eagles over the two decades he's been in charge of one of the most successful reintroduction programs in the country. When he started in the early 1970's, there was only one nesting pair of eagles in New York. Today there are more than 75 pairs, and bald eagles are no longer such rare sights, especially during the coldest, snowiest days of deep winter. Eagle spotters out in the winter are often granted sightings of the increasing numbers of eagles found along the Upper Delaware and Upper Hudson River valleys. Thirty years ago eagles were on the edge of extinction caused by the pesticide DDT. Today's biggest threat to the Bald eagle is habitat destruction. According to Nye, each winter during the mid-winter aerial survey of New York more and more woodlands and hillsides are totally denuded. The spread of second homes and vacation resorts around major cities is increasing pressure on bald eagles throughout the Northeast. And every year he finds birds that have been electrocuted by power lines, strangled in fishing tackle or fatally disturbed in their nests. In a recent (winter 2004) New York Times interview about the New York eagle population, Eagleye Nye was quoted, "Their numbers are going through the roof," he said, "but the question now is whether, by 2050, the habitat they need is still going to be here to support them or will we keep whittling away at it so that the habitat disappears?" Peter Nye has joined together with the National Park Service to study the upper reaches of the Delaware River. They will be looking at nesting sites with these questions in mind: What is the distance from the nests to the nearest house or road? Do the eagles prefer a particular slope of the land? What kind of tree do they choose? What is the level of recreational use nearby? What You Can Do Recently removed from the endangered species list, the eagle's recovery is a conservation success story. Now we see there is another potential hazard for the continued success of this species in NY – habitat destruction. As the human population grows larger our natural resources must be managed for the benefit of all. You can help! Peter Nye shares his wish with you, "Keep up your interest in wild species, preserve what's left of our open-spaces (and encourage your parents to also...), and do well in school! We need YOU to grow up and take charge and make sure we don't destroy our planet and all the wonderful living things in it!" Try This! Begin an experiment in your own backyard, neighborhood, park or schoolyard. Grab your notebook and a tape measure and head outside to look for nests. Squirrel nests may be the easiest to spot since their large, leafy nest bowl is so visible, but a good observer should be able to spot bird nests, too. Once you have identified the location of a nest make some notes about the nesting sites. Consider some of the same questions the National Park Service is using to analyze Bald Eagle nesting sites: What is the distance from the nests to the nearest house or road? Do the birds or squirrels prefer a particular slope of the land? What kind of tree do they choose? What is the level of recreational use nearby? Now read through your research findings. Can you make some generalizations about the nesting locations? Do certain types of animals nest in more remote areas? Are some nests found close to buildings or recreational areas? Using your research, can you find a way to teach others about the importance of protecting nesting habitat? Threats from Yesterday 30 years ago the biggest threat to the Bald eagle was the pesticide DDT. Once thought to be a miracle pesticide for eliminating insects that carried dangerous diseases, DDT proved deadly for eagles and other birds of prey. Learn more about this chemical and how it affects the environment: Learn About DDT Copyright 2004 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form