Environment DEC
From the December 2005 issue
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Here's an excerpt from an article in the December issue. It's just a small sample of what you, your family and friends can enjoy throughout the year-only in Conservationist magazine.Winter Eagle Watching
This issue gives readers the
best locations for viewing
this magnificent bird
The bald eagle is one of New York State's most impressive residents and the only eagle found solely in North America. The sight of one of these majestic birds soaring against a bright blue sky is enough to make anyone pause. With a length of 30 inches, a brilliant white head and tail, and a wingspan of up to 84 inches-seven feet!-this bird is hard to miss.
Fortunately, this sight is becoming increasingly common, even though eagle populations were once decimated by widespread use of pesticides and habitat destruction. In fact, by the 1960's, bald eagles had been nearly extirpated from New York State.
In 1976, DEC began its bald eagle restoration program using a technique called "hacking." This technique involved taking eaglets from wild nests and transporting them to a site where they were raised in artificial nests and eventually released. The hope was that when the eagles matured, they would return to the area where they were raised to nest and become breeding birds. The program proved to be a huge success and served as a model for reestablishment programs around the country. The program ended in 1989 when state biologists determined the released birds were reproducing successfully on their own and are continuing the growth of New York's population naturally.
Although you can see bald eagles in New York at any time of year, some of the best opportunities are in winter. As lakes and rivers begin to freeze in northern latitudes, eagles leave their breeding grounds in search of open water. Because New York provides significant amounts of open water and food, our winter eagle population swells to more than 300 birds.
More Information
To find out where some of the best sites for winter eagle watching are, go to the Conservationist website (see the "Related Link" below) and click on the December issue. And if you're not already a subscriber, consider a subscription for yourself or as a gift for someone else.
