iSife© M Msmmhm(M^ Massachusetts Division Of Fisheries and Wildlife It is a sad comment on America that our national bird, the bald eagle, was unprotected until 1940. To- day it is among the most strictly protected forms of wildlife, and anyone who kills or even harasses an eagle is subject to arrest, heavy fines and imprison- ment. And yet the eagle has not returned in its former numbers. Man has taken its habitat, poisoned it with insecticides, and electrocuted it on power lines. De- spite tough laws, many eagles still die of gunshot wounds every year. And even eagle admirers unintention- ally harass the birds as they try to get "just a little closer** with their cameras and field glasses. As a result no eagle has nested in Massachusetts for well over a hundred years. Most people, even those who have never seen a bald eagle, could identify the adult bird on sight. It stands about three feet high, has a dark brown body with a white head, neck and tail, and a 6 foot + wingspan. As in most birds of prey, females are usually larger than males. Young eagles look quite different. Basically dark and often streaked and spotted with white, they do not assume adult coloration until their fourth or fifth year. lilhen the colonists first arrived in Massachusetts they found eagles breeding throughout the state, par- ticularly on Cape Cod where fish, the eagle's favored food, were available all year round. But settlements increased, gradually the timber was cut, land was cleared, rivers were dammed, and the wilderness, along with much of its fish and wildlife, disappeared. In the ignorance of the time most people were glad to see eagles removed from the landscape as any bird of prey was regarded as a livestock killer. Some people actually believed that eagles would carry off the babies and small children! Faced with such persecution eagle numbers declined drastically and nesting eagles vanished from many states, including Massachusetts. But there was still plenty of good habitat for nesting in the deep South and to the North. Southern bald eagles visited Massachusetts during May and June, while northern birds were fairly oommon throughout the year, especially during winter. Then came modern civilization and technology. In- creasing development, a growing human population, and the pollution of the food chain by DDT and similar chemicals have taken their toll. Perhaps two or tliroe eagles remain around Quabbin Reservoir throughout tho year, another dozen or so spend part of the winter tliere, and the coastal areas of the state support an odd visitor or two at any given season. Although eagles sometimes take their own game in the form of waterfowl and small mammals, they are pri- marily fishermen and scavengers. They apparently pre- fer fish to all other foods, and rarely take up re- sidence far from a large body of water. They uGu/illy catch their own, but they have nothing against steoJing from an otter, merganser or osprey. The eagles which winter at Quabbin are a unique population in that they rely heavily on deer carcasses for food. Deer which have been chased onto the ice by dogs or coyotes often fall and never get up again. The eagles, have learned to take advantage of this depend- able windfall. They generally leave their niglit roosts before sunrise and make their way to the nearest car- cass where they feed until mid-morning. In late after- noon they usually return to earth for another feeding, and then head back to their roosts for the night. If you would like to see an eagle, Qiuabbin offers you the best chance. Eagle numbers usually peak during February and March, then taper off as the ice goes out. The best place from vdiich to watch the Quabbin eagles is the Enfield Lookout, just off Route 9 in Belchertoi^, A spotting scope or powerful pair of binoculars are a necessity. Do not attempt to get closer to the eagles. They will not tolerate a human's approach, even at a distance of several hundred yards. The attempt would interfere with the eagle's feeding, putting undue stress on the bird, and would make you subject to arrest. Programs are already underway to learn more about the Massachusetts eagles, and hopefully to bring back nesting eagles. In 1979 the first statewide eagle sur- vey took place. Organized by the National Wildlife Federation's Raptor Information Center, various bird clubs and private persons, along with personnel from Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Massachusetts Audubon Society, the Corps of Engineers and the MDC all went out to look for eagles for an entire day. The grand total: 9 eagles, one which was a golden eagle. Eight were on or around Quabbin, em- phasizing the value of this relatively undisturbed area for wildlife, v^ile the odd eagle was sighted on Nan- tucket . The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wild- life hopes to raise an eagle at Quabbin someday, hope- fully on an annual basis. The hatchling will come from the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland, \^ere sick or injured eagles are restored to health and induced to breed in captivity. The hatchling will never see its human foster parents; thus when it is ready to leave it will relate to other eagles, and not to people. Such a program has already shown considerable success in returning the endangered peregrine falcon to the wild, and New York has already done it with eagles.