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Show Eagle As America's National Symbol Notes Birthday By Nancy Bales Spotlight Writer It may the Year of the Dog in China, but here in the U.S., its the Year of the Eagle, commemorating the 200th an-niverary of America's national symbol. The American bald eagle is only one of several raptors or "birds of prey" to be found in south central Utah. Raptors of the area include, besides the bald eagle, the golden eagle, hawks, falcons and owls, stated Mike Coffeen, resources analyst, Division of Wildlife Depending on many variables, the value and species of the raptor, the age and the health of the bird and chances for total recovery; Wildlife officers can and do save and rehabilitate many creatures. Resources, Cedar City. The best known and most popular of the raptors, the bald eagle, isn't really bald at all. His head is covered with white feathers. The word bald comes from the Old English word "balde," which means white. "Eagle-eye" is an apt description for someone with good eyesight. Eagle-eye refers to the eagle's extraordinarily keen eyesight, which enables some of them to spot a fish from more than a mile away. An unusually high number of "come cells," or specialized vision cells, give the eagle's eye its long-distance focusing capability. The extra cells also make the eagle's eye large in proportion to the rest of his body. Some eagles have eyeballs larger than a human's. Owls, falcons, and hawks share the eagle's exceptional eyesight. Bald eagles, who mate for life, tend to use the same nest each year, piling new materials on top of the old year after year. One of the largest nests ever found weighed more than a ton and measured 20 feet deep and 9V5s feet across. A new nest is small by comparsion about three feet deep and five feet across. A mature American Bald eagle weighs between eight and twelve pounds. Most female bald eagles weigh a little more than their mates. The huge birds may have a wingspan of six to seven feet. Eagles, as well as other raptors are great fishermen, able to nab a live fish right out of the water by swooping down and grasping it with sharp talons. Eagles will also eat ducks, geese, turtles, rabbits, rats and squirrels. Other raptors feed mainly on rabbits and small rodents. Two-thirds of the 400 species of the birds of prey the hawks, eagles, falcons and vultures seek their prey between sunrise and sunset. The other third, the owls, are mainly night hunters. Congress first moved to conserve the bald eagle in 1940, with the passage of the Bald Eagle Protection Act. Eagle populations continued to decline in the 50's and 60's, mostly due to the widespread use of pesticides, like DDT, that interferred with the Eagle's reproduction process. Loss of habitat and illegal shootings also threatened the eagle. The National Wildlife Federation operates a Raptor Information Center in Virgina, that, among other things, conducts an annual bald eagle survey and tries to identify other critical bald eagle habitats. To discourage illegal killings, the NWF offers a $500 reward for information leading to the conviction of anyone who kills a bald eagle. NWF statistics show that the bald eagle population is beginn ing to recover in some areas. The Federation's annual eagle census of 1981 reported a slight increase in eagle populations for the lower 48 states. The only state in which the eagle is plentiful is Alaska. (Continued on Page 8) An all too common sight along southern Utah highways and county roads are "raptors" killed Instantly by fast moving vehicles. Division of Wildlife llesources Olficer Norm McKee displays two rough-legged hawks slain while feeding on freshly killed rabbit. 1 America's National Symbol Notes Birthday (Continued from Page 1) In Utah all birds are protected with the hunted species representing only a small percentage of the actual total. Only two species are open year around the English Sparrow and the Starling. Both the golden eagle and the bald eagle may be spotted in South Central Utah and are sometimes difficult to tell apart. Where the white feathers on the mature bald eagle distinguish him from the golden eagle, younger birds are quite similar in appearance. A mature bird is usually about four years old. Bald eagles found in the area will seen only in the winter when they arrive from Canada. Golden eagles are also migratory with only a few nesting in the area. Winter is a difficult time for all wildlife. Raptors scavenge for food and frequenlty feed on dead carcases on the highway, often failing to move quickly enough from the path of oncoming vehicles. Sometimes, particularly in winter, the birds take longer to leave the carcass because they may have been starving and gorged themselves and unable to move quickly. The birds may get very brazen and refuse to relinquish ownership of their prey. Vehicles should slow down, especially for eagles and owls. Owls are the most frequent victims of highway accidents since they prey at night and are more difficult for drivers to see. Eagles sometimes fall victim to electrocution when they land on defective wires or insulators. Power companies have been making an effort to correct such effective apparatus to curb deaths. Marsh hawks and rough-legged hawks are commonly seen in the South Central area of Utah. Male hawks vary from 10 to 22 inches in length, with the slightly larger females ranging from 12 to 26 inches. Females are not only larger but are also stronger and usually bolder than the males. Unlike many birds, the male and female are colored almost alike in most caes. The hawk's usually light-colored eyes give him a fierce and belligerent look. His wings are more rounded than a falcon's and his neck is thickly feathered. Among the owls seen in the area are barn owls, great horned owls, and saw-wheat owls. Easily recognizable with its broad head and giant eyes, the owl hunts mostly mammals. The larger owls eat rabbits and squirrels, the smaller ones, mice, rats and shrews. Owls have binocular vision, and, like man, can watch an object with both eyes at the same time. Their huge eyes don't move in their sockets, however, and they must turn their heads to follow moving objects. Their dull coloring allows them to blend into their background. Fairly fast, they can swoop down upon their unsuspecting Rehabilitation of disabled non-game wildlife goes on daily with the Division of Wildlife Resources. This fuly target almost soundlessly. Their fluffy feathers muffle the swishing sound that most birds in flight make. Falcons are often mistaken for hawks, but their wings are long and pointed and their tails fairly long compared to the hawk. They also have a different kind of flight, with rapid wing strokes and, unlike the hawk, they do not soar. Despite its name, the Sparrow Hawk is actually a falcon, the smallest found in America and seen in-the South Central area of Utah. The peregrine falcon, whose numbers have been diminishing in the past century, is being planted in areas in an convalesced eagle has been banded on the leg for future study and is about to be set free once again. effort to increase its numbers once more. Its speed when it swoops on its prey, has been estimated as high as 180 miles an hour and it can easily overtake other birds. The falcon has a sharply hooked beak and powerful feet with sharp talons and will often attack prey as large as himself or larger. Conservation officer Norman McKee, Panguitch, reported seeing a peregrine falcon near its nest at Lake Powell last summer. Conservation officers work in conjunction with Non-game biologists like Mike Cofeen of the Cedar City office of the Division of Wildlife Resources in protecting the raptors of South Central Utah. |