Counties where theCounties weree the Bald
Eagle can be found are in black.
Species In Recovery
Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Status: Threatened
Description: The bald eagle is well known as our national symbol. A large bird measuring 31 to 37 inches in length, the wingspan of the bald eagle is six to seven and one-half
feet. Adult birds have dark brown bodies that contrast sharply with
the white head and tail. The eyes and beaks of adults are yellow.
The birds become adults at four to five years. Immature bald eagles
have dark plumage with splotches of white on the underwings and
tails. The eyes and beaks of the immature birds are brown. Immature
bald eagles are often confused with large hawks or golden eagles.
Habitat and Habits: The bald eagle
is generally found near water such as rivers, reservoirs and lakes.
Fish is the primary food item, but they also feed on carrion such as
waterfowl and mammals.
Nests in Iowa are initiated in February
or March with pairs often using the same nest year after year. The
nests are normally in large trees and made of large sticks and other
vegetation. The average nest is four feet in diameter and about
three feet deep. The female generally lays two eggs, but several
nests in Iowa have had three. Incubation is from 35 to 40 days.
The young birds do not leave the nest until almost three months old.
Distribution: The bald eagle
occurred throughout Canada and the United States and was a regular
nesting bird in Iowa at the time of settlement. The last known
nesting was believed to have occurred in 1864, until nesting was
again documented in the late 1970s. In 1998 there were 84 nesting
attempts with 47 being successful, producing 82 young. By 2004 the
estimated number of nesting pairs had increased to 175. Nesting
pairs were reported from 68 of Iowa’s 99 counties and were
associated with 35 rivers and streams.
Reasons for Listing: The
banning of DDT and other organochlorine pesticides in the early
1970s has helped the bald eagle population make a strong comeback.
The accumulation of organochlorine pesticides in fish upon which the
bald eagles were feeding was a major reason for this species’
decline. These pesticides interfered with the ability of the birds
to produce viable eggs. Loss of nesting and wintering areas due to
development along rivers also contributed to the population
decline. Indiscriminate shooting was probably responsible for
keeping populations low until the passage of the Bald Eagle Act of
1940 which provided increased protection.
Funding Provided
by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and
