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Show Bald Eagle Census ... ; . V" " I In ;m effort to get a better hiinrtle on the number of R;ild Eagles in the lower 48 states this winter, the National Wildlife Federation iNVVF) has organized a national bald eagle census. Federal, state and private organizations around the country will be counting the rneles on January 20. This is the first year that such an effort lias been undertaken. According to Phil Wagner, a raptor biologist with the Division of Wildlife Kcsources and Utah coordinator coor-dinator for the survey, several federal agencies -the Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife Service -- state agencies and some private organizations may hecome involved in the count. Wagner says that planning will he crucial in order to eliminate duplicate counts and still get adequate coverage. Utah has conducted month-long satte surveys for several years, and Wagner points out that the January NWF survey will offer a eood means of comparing the two methods. The bald eagle, once more common across the United States, is now endangered in 43 of the lower 48 states. Utah is among them. Although the DWR has counted over fiOO bald eagles in Utah in each of the last two years, these are migrating birds. Utah has no nesting population. Most bald eagles nest in areas to the north which are relatively free of environmental en-vironmental contaminants. Wagner says, however, that pollutants in wintering t,rounds like Utah can effect nesting success the following voar. Since they feed mostly on fih. bald eagles can be spotted near many bodies of water around the state. SURVEY SLATED. The bald eagle is endangered in 43 of the lower 48 states, including Utah. A January 30 bald eagle survey, organized by the National Wildlife Federation, will attempt to get a better idea of the population. - Photo from Division of Wildlife Resources "Wildlife Report." i |