Hobbies And Interests
History of Bald Eagle Populations
The recovery of the bald eagle, from near extinction to its current population, is seen as a dramatic conservation success. Trace the history of bald eagle populations and management, from government-sponsored efforts to kill the birds to their listing on the Endangered Species Act. Create a visual time line using text, pictures and photos. Identify factors impacting populations at each time interval, along with population density maps showing their decline and subsequent recovery. Conclude with the potential impacts of delisting the species. Interview a biologist at a local U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service office to include their impressions.
Habitat and Threats
The future of the bald eagle is far from secure. Each year, birds are killed both purposefully and accidentally. Identify the many threats to bald eagles. Propose methods to eliminate or at least reduce these threats. Catalog their habitat needs. Identify threats to their habitat and approaches to protect their habitat. Contact a conservation organization or land trust in your community; interview a member of their staff about the importance of habitat protection for the bald eagle and all species.
On-Site Nest Monitoring
Ornithology, the study of birds, is one of the few fields where non-professionals can make significant contributions to scientific research. These "citizen scientists" help researchers better understand bird populations, distribution and habitat by collecting data. Students lucky enough to live in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia and Wisconsin can participate in active research projects on bald eagles by monitoring nests and recording courtship, incubation, feeding of nestlings, fledgling and other aspects of the bird's breeding cycle.
Behavior and Feeding Ecology
Research the diet of bald eagles. North Carolina State University streams video from an active eagle nest in Jordan Lake, North Carolina. Eagles have used the nest between January and April each year. Watching the online webcam, record prey the eagles are bringing to the nest and the feeding rates of the chicks. If the prey is a type fish, use a key to try to identify the actual species. Note date and time of the observations. Describe any interesting or unusual behaviors. In addition to presenting observations at a science fair, contribute your data to scientists at the Jordan Lake Eagle Cam's Facebook page.