Threatened Species

Eagles are a threatened species. The bald eagle is our national bird. If these were to become extinct, then we would be without our most treasured bird. Soon, the bird would be the stuff of legends and we may even need to rethink our national bird. Would we really want to be associated with a bird that is not even alive on the planet anymore? That does not bode well for us.

As a threatened species and an important national bird, the bald eagle is protected by certain acts. There is currently a proposal to take the eagle off the endangered species list. Largely because the efforts to protect and save them for extinction have worked and also because there are other acts that protect the bird from being hunted, killed, and from people disturbing their nests. This proposal has received mixed reviews.

The unfortunate part about the eagle being a threatened species is that it gets a lot of press because of how important it is to our country. This is good for the eagle, but not so good for other species that are equally threatened but no one knows about it. When it comes to successfully taking action, when something receives a lot of press, this generates interest and support. Without support, these programs would fail.

A good way to get involved with eagles or other threatened species is to talk to your local environmental organizations. Or you can go online. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services posts information about endangered and threatened species. So do the World Wild Federation and other environmental websites. Become familiar with the endangered species that are out there, including the eagle, and see what you can do to help.

If you think you have spotted an endangered species somewhere, especially if it is somewhere interesting, such as in a parking lot, make sure you report it. For bald eagles, for example, wherever they decide to nest it is a law that you need to leave it there, no matter how inconvenient it is. This helps them be better able to reproduce offspring which is essential when saving an endangered species. When it comes to the eagle, there situation has improved with the thanks of all those involved with trying to save them.