3 minute read
It’s Official: Eagles Are Our National Bird
It’s Official: Eagles Are Our National Bird
By Annie Bradfield
Bald eagles are a common sight in Virginia’s Piedmont, often perched in trees, feeding in fields, or soaring overhead. Their presence evokes awe and national pride. So, when President Joe Biden signed legislation on Dec. 24, 2024, officially designating the bald eagle as our national bird, many were surprised to learn that it was not already official.
Still, though it’s been the American national emblem since 1782, this new official status doesn’t increase protections or address the significant health threats bald eagles still face.
In 2024, Blue Ridge Wildlife Center treated 3,893 animals, including 19 bald eagles. All scavenging species at the Center are routinely tested for lead poisoning. “More than 80 percent of eagles, vultures, and opossums show elevated lead levels,” said Dr. Jen Riley, the center’s hospital director and lead veterinarian. “For adult bald eagles, it’s over 90 percent.”
Wildlife ingest lead primarily by feeding on gut piles or carcasses left by hunters using lead ammunition or by eating fish that have swallowed lead sinkers. Stomach acid dissolves the lead, allowing it to enter the bloodstream. From there, lead poisoning causes lethargy and disorientation and can lead to organ failure and death. Even moderately elevated levels increase the risk of injuries, like vehicle collisions.
Human activities have long threatened bald eagles. Hunting, pollution, and habitat destruction drove their numbers dangerously low. In 1940, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act prohibited harming eagles and their nests. However, by 1963, only 417 nesting pairs remained in the lower 48 states, with just 30 in Virginia.
The pesticide DDT, introduced in 1945, severely impacted eagle populations by weakening eggshells, which caused nests to fail. In response, the U.S. banned DDT in 1972, and the Endangered Species Act (ESA) followed in 1973.
These protections helped the species recover. By 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated 316,700 bald eagles nationwide—four times the number a decade prior. The bald eagle was removed from Virginia’s endangered list in 2013 and the federal list in 2007. Today, Virginia has over 1,500 breeding pairs, mainly from the Chesapeake Bay to the northern Piedmont.
Despite this progress, experts stress that stronger protections are needed. Banning lead in hunting and fishing gear is crucial. Copper ammunition offers a safer alternative, but shifting hunter behavior and securing federal legislation remain challenges.
The staff and board at Blue Ridge Wildlife Center hope that the new “national bird” status may inspire more legal protections. “Predatory birds, like bald eagles, need a safe food source to thrive,” Dr. Riley emphasized. “Supporting biodiversity and keeping toxins like heavy metals out of the food web is essential.”
Annie Bradfield is executive director of the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center near Millwood. Learn more about the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center at www.BlueRidgeWildlifeCtr.org.
