Why was the bald eagle going extinct?

Answer 1

There are several causes. The loss of habitat is one. As more people cut forest area and build on the lands there is less habitat for them. Pollution is another. Scientist have found DDT in the eagle food chain (this is one reason DDT is now illegal to use) and this has caused deformed eggs or no eggs. The Bald Eagle only has 2-3 eggs a year. A combination of factors has made their population go steadily down for several years.

Answer 2

DDT, a chemical pesticide, was used in the period after World War II to control insects such as mosquitoes. Mosquito larvae live in pools of water where fish may live too. The DDT found its way into the flesh of the fish, a primary food source for bald eagles. The eagles did not apparently have any ill effects from the DDT in their system, but their eggs had extremely thin and weak shells. The eggshells were so weak that they would break before the chick was fully developed and it would die. Over time, birth rates plummeted as few chicks were surviving. The same was true for other raptors, famously the peregrine falcon. This is because chemicals concentrate upward on the food chain with top predators absorbing the most of the chemical.

While DDT was banned in the United States in 1972, some of it still lingers in the environment, and the pesticide is still used in other places around the world. After its ban, bald eagles have made a strong recovery and are no longer listed as an endangered species.

Answer 3

The Bald Eagle

This eagle is not going extinct. Although it is near threatend. The population of bald eagles are trying to expand. Now the eagle that is near exticnt, is the Phillippine Eagle. The Phillippine Eagle is, critaclly endangered.

Ornithlogist,

Bryan I would say that they were going extinct because of a pesticide called DDT. After it was sprayed everywhere it rained. Then the pesticides drained in to rivers and streams. Next the pesticides went into the fishes. The bald eagle would eat the fish then lay eggs. Once they layed eggs their shells were very thin. So some of the eggs would crack before the chick was ready to hatch. Now this pesticide is illegal to most countries.

Answer 4

DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) a pesticide that was commonly used across North America, including Canada. From the 1940's - 1960's, it was sprayed on crops and trees to kill harmful insects. DDT did control insect populations. It killed many insects that could destroy crops. It also killed disease-carrying mosquitoes and, thus, saved millions of human lives. Unfortunately, DDT is harmful to many living organisms-- especially birds. DDT is now banned in Canada and many other countries but not everywhere in the world.

DDT builds up in the food chain and efected the thickness of the shell of the egg of the bald eagle resulting in death.

And Bioaccumulation




Answer 2. they where harmed because they shot the eagles to get the natives mad

Answer 5

Early on native Americans used the tail feathers of the bald eagle for ceremonial head dresses, but never hunted them to dangerously low numbers. Then, in the early part of this century women thought it fashionable to wear those same tail feather sticking out of their "beautiful" hats. The demand was very high and their numbers plummeted. Thankfully it's no longer in style to make hats out of our national symbol and their population is once again healthy.

Answer 6

The bald eagle is not extinct, the species is on the endangered species list due to hunting, habitat invasion and chemical pollution from pesticides such as DDT.

Answer 7

Hunting for feathers, and habitat loss. I am happy to report their numbers on on the rise in the Pacific Northwest.