A C O N V O C AT I O N O F
Story: Stella Wenstob Photos: Shari Sommerfeld
EAGLES
A convocation of eagles is not a feted occasion requiring black gowns and tasseled caps. Like a murder of crows or a gaggle of geese, a convocation is the unexpected collective noun for a group of eagles. Eagles have inspired humans throughout history – and the world. The Ancient Romans used them as a symbol of Empire. Here in the United States, the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is our national bird. Native American tribes, including Hood Canal’s Skokomish, venerate the Bald Eagle. Many tribes associate the eagle with the creator. Since this bird is the strongest flyer, it is believed to carry prayers to the heavens. Feathers and other parts of the bird (such as the talons) are important to many Native American ceremonies, such as smudging, powwows, and talking circles. At the turn of the 18th century, the Bald
Eagle population was estimated to be between 300,000–500,000. In the early 20th century however, the eagle was targeted for sport and because of their perceived predation upon livestock. Between 1918 and 1930 one ornithologist estimated that approximately 70,000 bald eagles had been shot in the state of Alaska. Additionally, nesting sites were disturbed by logging and other forms of development. The Bald Eagle Protection Act was introduced in 1940 to protect nests, eggs, feathers, and to stop the slaughter of Bald Eagles. By the 1950s, however, there were reported to be only 412 nesting pairs left in the 48 conterminous United States.
Pushed to near extinction
Further, pressure was placed upon Bald Eagles populations (and many birds of prey species) by the pesticide Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). Since Bald Eagles are predators at the top of the food-chain, this chemical was concentrated in their prey and even the prey of their prey. This bioaccumulation disrupted the Bald Eagle’s metabolism of calcium, severely effecting fertility rates and inhibiting healthy egg production.
Bald Eagles were declared endangered in 1962.
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