Save the Eagle Day

The eagle not only represents the fierce patriotism of the United States of America, it is a majestic bird of prey that has been revered for centuries all over the world.

Cave dwellers painted their fierce poses along with their wing spans in flight on cave walls. The ancient Aztecs used eagles to pick out the spot where they would build their cities. Legends have been passed down telling the tale of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, being built at the spot where an eagle perched on a cactus.

Throughout the spans of history, artist and governments alike, from countries all around the world have replicated these brave birds. They have decorated flags and medals for armies from Egypt to Rome; from Germany to the United States. Jewelry worn by both men and women from ancient times to modern day have been decorated with eagles. Eagles have been revered as spiritual beings having ties in the nether world by many cultures throughout history, including our own Native Americans.

Buy This Poster at Allposters.com

There are more then 70 species of eagles throughout the world; except Hawaii. Hawaii is the only place in the world that has never had a resident eagle. We have a species of hawk, the Io, or Buteo solitarius, that is a small distant cousin of the eagle, and the Peregrine Falcon winters over on the Hawaiian Islands. Both of these species are also protected.
Buy Philippine Eagle at Allposters.com

There are eagle species found in the Philippine Islands, Africa and Japan. The American bald eagle is the only eagle unique to North America. Although the Golden Eagle is also an eagle protected in North America, it is found in other parts of the world as well such as Japan, Sweden, Scotland and Spain. In Japan, the majestic golden eagle is one of the largest raptor species in Japan. It is protected under the Law for the Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Japan also has a "Red List" for endangered species and the Japanese golden eagle has been add to it as a critically endangered species. These majestic birds are just a hair away from becoming extinct. The Red List was revised by the Environment Ministry in December 2006. as of 2009 there were only about 500 to 650 golden eagles surviving in mountainous areas across the nation, from Hokkaido to Kyushu.

Not all eagles are massive proud birds like the American bald eagle. Some are small birds that look like hawks and dine on insects or even fruit. The Crested Serpent Eagles, for example, are about the size of a large pigeon and spends its days walking and climbing through its African forest habitat in looking for snakes to eat while the African Vulturine Fish-Eagle is primarily a vegetarian, eating the fruit of African palms instead of meat. These eagles are also protected species.

The Spanish imperial eagle almost disappeared a few decades ago due to habitat loss, accidental poisonings and electrocution on power lines. Only 30 pairs of birds remained on Earth in the 1960s. Conservation efforts helped raise that number to 253 pairs in 2008 and then to 283 pairs in May of this year, when the first eagle chick born through artificial insemination was hatched at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C.

Click Here for Details:
Rustic Eagle Sculpture

Buy This at Allposters.com

The bald eagle has a distinctive brown body with a white head and tail. Bald used to mean white and not hairless as it does now. When flying, searching for prey, the bald eagle seldom flaps its wings but soars instead, holding its wings almost completely flat. Its hooked bill, legs and feet are yellow. They are a site to see soaring up in clouds scouting for prey. It is amazing watching their force as they dive bomb through the air with their wings held back and close to their bodies after their meal!

The population of the Bald Eagle is now increasing slowly due to various actions taken by the Government. For one, the use of DDT has been almost completely banned, however, some southern states still use it. The ban of DDT has been one of the main reasons the eagles have been increasing their numbers the last few years.

Bald Eagles are still in danger in spite of making a gradual comeback from the endangered species list. Most Bald Eagles still lose their lives to game hunting, traps, high power lines, pollutants and poisons in their habitat, destruction of their habitat from human encroachment and wind turbines. Since their removal from the Endangered Species Act in 2007, bald eagles and Golden Eagles are primarily protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and its implementing regulations prohibit the taking of bald eagles, which includes activities that are likely to interfere with eagles' breeding, feeding or sheltering behavior, or result in injury, death, or nest abandonment.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act further protects bald eagles and their eggs, nests and feathers by prohibiting killing, taking, or possession of eagles without a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In some states, bald eagles are also protected by state endangered species laws.

The bald eagle has been managed under five recovery populations. One of which is located in the southwestern area of North America. These desert nesting bald eagles are geographically, behaviorally, and biologically different from the bald eagles in the norther part of the continent. As of 2010 there were only 39 breeding pairs located in Arizona, nesting primarily along the Verde, Salt, and Gila rivers.

According to the Center for Biological Diversity, "Nationwide, bald eagles have made a tremendous recovery, but in the Southwest they still suffer from high mortality and low reproductive rates and depend on precious, rapidly disappearing riparian habitat. For these reasons, the Center has called for the desert nesting bald eagle to continue to be managed separately and remain on the endangered species list.

The center is working to protect Arizona's Verde River, one of the most endangered rivers in the nation and the best remaining habitat for Arizona eagles. Also, a Center lawsuit was successful in the prevention of a condominium development taking place lakeside on the shores of Big Bear Lake, California, which is a threat to the bald eagle habitat.

More information about the southwest Arizona bald eagle and the post-delisting monitoring plan is available at the Center for Biological Diversity

To honor Save the Eagles Day, we can look forward in America to protecting the American Bald Eagles and the Golden Eagles along with their habitats.

Donating to a wildlife sanctuary or turning to the government officials to strengthen environmental protection of waterways might help in saving the eagles. Planting trees and maintaining them in our own yards or local parks makes places for eagles to alight.

On the 10th of January, we can thank the United States for being able to enjoy watching these amazing birds soaring high in our sky. We should also send this intention to our world for it will help eagles continue their existence throughout the world now and for the years to come.

Squidoo provides a really nice service
that leaves you with a very special
"just gone to Heaven" feeling.
It is when you are "Blessed by a Squidoo Angel".
It is very similar to spreading the aloha in Hawaii!
(Where I am from.)
You feel good when you get one and you feel good when you give one away!
This blessing is a special validation
that gives your lens an extra boost for all your hard work,
and verifies it as a quality lens.