Do You Know Me?

 

One of the most well known birds, recognized in photographs, is the Bald Eagle. These interesting birds have been studied for hundreds of years while uncovering many of their habits and characteristics.

 

 

Let’s take a closer look.

If you look closely you will notice that these eagles are chocolate brown in coloration. The adults have white heads and tails. You will also notice the yellow eyes, beaks and legs. Notice the powerful hooked bill which is designed for tearing meat apart and can also be used as a weapon.

Second Largest Bird of Prey in U.S.

Though these birds are very large, they are only the second largest in the U.S.  Can you name the largest? It is the rare California Condor. Have you ever heard of the Bergman’s Rule? This general rule relating to the size of Eagles predicts that the farther North you go, the larger the birds will be. It seems to stand true when comparing specimens from the North compared to those found father to the South. The larger females range from 35-27 inches long with a wingspan of 79-90 inches. That is a big bird! The smaller males are between 30-34 inches long and have a wingspan of 72-85 inches. That makes the females 25% larger than the males.

Are They Really Bald?

Strange as it may seem, the eagles are not bald as one would think. The term “Bald” actually doesn’t come from a word meaning “without hair“. It actually  comes from a word that means, “White Headed“. Interestingly, they do not acquire their white heads and tails until they reach maturity around 4-5 years of age.

Controversy Over Naming the Bald Eagle As National Symbol:

If you look at the Presidential Seal, and on many U.S. coins, you will find the Bald Eagle as a national symbol of the U.S.  This has been the case ever since 1782 when it was declared the official emblem of our great country. Not all of those present at this time thought the Eagle was a good choice. One notable exception was Benjamin Franklin, who thought the Eagle’s reputation and character was far beneath the dignity of the U.S.   He noted that they were cowardly and of low moral character since they often steal food captured by other predators and will flee from the little  King Bird when being chased by them.

It Takes a Thief: “Kleptoparasitism”

Bald Eagles are often seen swooping down and stealing the prey from Osprey, foxes and other smaller predators. Have you ever heard the term “kleptomaniac” used to describe one who compulsively steals from others? Well, scientists use a similar word to describe animals like the Eagles that steal the food from others. This term is “Kleptoparasitism“.

They Eat What?!!!

Did you know, that in addition to stealing food from others they also eat dead things found along the road or in the field or beside the streams. This is known as “Carrion”. In many places and when the opportunity arises the large portion of the eagle’s diet comes from these sources.

They do, however, take wing and work for some of their food. It seems their favorites come from the ocean or fresh water. If you have ever watched an eagle for very long you may have seen it swoop down and snag a fish from the water with its talons. They then fly to a nearby nest, rock or tree top to tear the food apart for storage. They store it up in a large crop at the bottom of their necks until they further process and digest it later. Sometimes eagles go for several days without hunting, processing the food they captured earlier. They are known to feed on many different types of animals being opportunistic hunters. Some of these include: ducks, coots, auklets and other small birds. They also eat rabbits, raccoon, muskrats, skunks, opossum, armadillos, arctic foxes, baby beavers, and even baby seals when available. They augment their diet with shellfish, turtles, crabs, and small birds.

What’s In A Name?:

The scientific name of the Bald Eagle is “Haliaeetus leucocephalas”. The Genus and Species names are written in Latin. They mean “Large Sea Eagle with a white head“. Scientists use this universal language for all their classification of living things. Apparently this name came from Linnaeus clear back in 1766.

Nesting Characteristics:

One of the most outstanding characteristics of the eagles is their ability to construct huge nests. One of these was calculated as being almost two tons in weight and was 20 feet deep in the middle.. Another nest was  measured at 9.5 feet across. These are built high above the ground often on tree tops. We saw one high in a tree when we visited Yellowstone National Park several years ago. Nests more often are about 4-5 feet in diameter. Since the nests are reused for several years they get bigger as the years go by when new building materials are added to the original. Eagles often use man-made telephone poles and radio towers as places to build their nests.

Finally Removed From the Endangered Species List:

One of the sad historical events associated with the Bald Eagles was when they were dying out and threatened with extinction. This was primarily due to the introduction of the deadly pesticide, DDT. When this pesticide was used it eventually got into the food chain. The poison caused damage in egg shell formation and when the eggs were laid they broke before the chicks could develop. This not only hurt the eagles but many other animals in the environment. The government declared its use illegal and it has taken several years for its effects to be removed from the environment. In 1940 Congress passed  the Bald Eagle Protection Act. Since the poison also threatened other birds of prey, in 1962 an amendment added the Golden Eagle to the mix. In 1963 there were only estimated to be 487 nesting pairs of Bald Eagles. Much regulation and active protection helped the bird’s numbers to recover. In 2007 the Bald Eagle was finally removed from the list of threatened and endangered species.

 

It’s Our Duty to Care for Them:

Though these birds have recovered, it is important to realize how careful mankind must be in how we treat the environment. God gave man the Dominion Mandate way back in the Book of Genesis. He gave man the responsibility to care for His Creation. It was created for man to use but not abuse.

Considered a Sacred Bird:

Many of the Native American tribes have considered Eagles sacred birds for thousands of years. Today true Native American tribes can still harvest the feathers of these birds which are illegal to possess by others. They use them in many of their religious ceremonies and include them in their clothing and head wear. If you have ever seen a picture of an Indian Chief you have probably noticed the large feathers in his headpiece. The feathers were also waved through smoke while brokering agreements and treaties with others.

Why Not Learn More?:

Much of this information came from reading books and blog posts including National Geographic Field Guide to Birds of North America and web sites, Smithsonian Institutes National Zoo, Wikipedia, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Blog.  There are many more that you can easily find by looking on line.

 

Note: The pictures I took of these birds were from Queens, N.Y. at the Zoo there. The eagles on display had been brought to the zoo injured and after they recovered were unable to be released to the wild since their wings were damaged. 

A Different Kind Of Owl:

On our recent trip to New York we stopped in Queens to visit the Zoo there the night before we flew back to Tennessee. While there we witnessed one of the strangest owls I have ever seen, the Burrowing Owl.

What Makes Them Different?:

They have a leg up on the competition:

There are several characteristics of this owl species that set it apart from other owls. As you can see in this picture, the owls have long legs.  By having long legs they can scan the grasslands while standing on the ground or sitting on a low perch like a rock or branch.

They have mastered the underground:

Rather than burrow in trees and barns, these owls prefer to use abandoned prairie dog burrows or even man-made structures embedded in the ground. I once saw some in a culvert in a construction site in Sacramento. They can dig burrows themselves if necessary, but seem to enjoy re-purposing the work of others before them.

They often live in groups:

As you probably know from previous experience, owls are usually solitary individuals. Burrowing owls, however, often live in colonies of many owls. This provides for better security since one owl can sound an alarm so that many can respond immediately.

They have yellow eyes:

If you have seen other owls up close or in photos you probably noticed they usually have orange eyes. Burrowing owls have yellow eyes. These allow the birds to see well in both the dark and daylight.

They store up food for the future:

One of the interesting traits of these little birds is their ability to plan for the future. When food is plentiful they often store it up in their dens for hard times to come.

They even eat the small stuff:

Most owls prefer to eat rodents like mice, rats, rabbits and other small mammals. Burrowing owls take advantage of many kinds of food overlooked by others including insect, spiders, scorpions, and centipedes. In this manner they are important to the ecosystem’s balance and help keep these creatures in check. They also eat reptiles, (lizards and small snakes),  amphibians, (toads and frogs and salamanders), and even fish when available. In addition to these arthropods they also specialize in eating small rodents in their territory. Some of these include groundhogs, squirrels, mice, voles, pocket gophers and the like.

They have some special tricks for acquiring their food and repelling enemies:

A strange greeting: May seem smelly and trashy!

One interesting thing I discovered about these little birds is their habit of laying out a carpet in front of their burrows. What do you suppose this carpet is made of? I bet you didn’t guess it was poop! Yes, they gather up the dung from deer, cows, buffalo.”Why on earth would they do this?”, you might ask. Well, mixing dung and grass attracts one of their favorite foods, dung beetles. They get their food brought right to their doorstep. Another advantage of such a carpet is that it repels many would-be enemies from entering their burrows. They smell the animal feces and flee the other way thinking a larger animal may be near by. They also often scatter small pieces of paper, tin foil, bottle caps, and the like around their entrances. Scientists are not sure exactly why they do this but it seems to be some kind of an indication that the dwelling is occupied. They say. “Seek another place to build your home!”

Don’t let them rattle you!:

Strange as it might seem, these little birds can make a sound that is very similar to the rattlesnake. They use this alarm when other animals get too close to their nesting places. It seems to be pretty effective! I think I would think twice before messing with them if I heard this sound. How about you?

They have a high tolerance for gasses that would harm other creatures:

Living underground may seem like a great place to live but one of the dangers of such a dwelling is the high concentrations of Carbon Dioxide that flows into these low places from above. Since CO-2 is much heavier than the other gasses in the atmosphere it has a tendency to flow underground into any depressions in the ground it can find. God created these birds so they have a much higher tolerance to this gas than other creatures.

Night and Day Shifts:

Though these owls prefer hunting in the evening, especially at dusk, they also can be active in the daytime when necessary. As you know, many insects are most active in daylight. The owls often sit on perches just above the ground waiting to see movement. When motion is sighted they quickly can respond by either pouncing on their prey or hovering above before dropping to capture it.

Other interesting things to know about these birds:

Burrowing owls are classified into these groupings:

Kingdom = Animalia

Phylum = Vertebrata

Class = Aves

Order = Strigiformes

Family = Strigidae

Genus =   Athene

Species = cunicularia

They are found mostly in range-land, grasslands, near airports and golf courses.

They are small in stature, up to 9 inches tall.

Males are actually slightly larger than females (This is unusual in the animal Kingdom).

Their range is mostly in the Mid-West in the US, though they also are found frequently in Florida. They can also be found in Central  and South America in the grasslands there.

The father shares the duties of caring for his mate and young. While the female incubates the eggs the males spend time hunting to bring her food so she can spend the time caring for her developing young. The males also help acquire food when the young emerge from the eggs.

Rather than take to the air when threatened, they often flatten themselves near the ground or run off quickly on their feet. They are very speedy!

Just call me Bob:  One unique behavior of these creatures is their up and down movements. They bob up and down when on the ground or standing on their perches. This seems to help them see movement around them.

They are good at digging. Some of the burrows they dig can be up to 9 feet long with many chambers along the path. These are used for storing food as well as providing many hiding places if enemies enter the burrows.

The more I study the many creatures God has created for us to enjoy, the more I see how He designed each creature for where it lives and has provided built in instincts for them to survive.

We need to be careful in our use of our God given resources including the many kinds of living things around us. One of the sad things about burrowing owls is that their numbers are decreasing due to man’s development in the places where they live. Hopefully mankind will improve our respect for needed areas for these and other creatures to live and thrive so that others can enjoy them in the future.