eros atiebeOuUN ee Bel siael ele. N 7 
15 young birds in 82 nests. The eggs in 12 other nests failed to hatch. But 
what is even more astounding is the fact that 26 pairs of eagles just loafed 
around and had no apparent interest in nesting. By 1955 there were only 
8 young eagles in an area of 125 square miles. Thirty-six other nests failed 
to produce young; in 23 nests the eggs failed to hatch, and in 13 nests 
there were no eggs at all. These facts led Broley to the following statement: 
“IT am firmly convinced that about 80% of the Florida Bald Eagles are 
sterile.” 2 
This statement may hold the clue to the disappearance of the Bald 
Eagle. What may be the cause of this sterility? The diet of the eagles is 
about 90% ‘fish. The late Dr. H. R. Mills, a well-known bacteriologist, 
found that large deposits of DDT were present in most of the dead fish 
in the Tampa area. The eagle prefers carrion. If he finds a dead fish, it 
means less work for him. The fish that he does catch will probably be 
the most sluggish — usually the poisoned ones. Remember the first year 
that eagle nestlings began to decline in numbers? It was 1947. In the 
summer and fall of 1946, the first assault on the insect life around Tampa 
was made with DDT. Ever since then, spraying has been increasing and 
eagles have been decreasing. 
In 1957 the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries and Wildlife made a survey that 
proved DDT can upset the reproductive cycle in quail. If in quail, why not in 
eagles? 2 
In 1958 Broley banded a grand total of one eagle. In 1958 also, only 
one immature eagle was reported in the area around the Mississippi and 
Illinois Rivers. 2 This area is in the wintering spot for almost half of the 
Eagles in the United States. A census is made here every year. In 1958 
the results of the count were startling: only 359 eagles in an area that 
usually harbors at least 500. In other parts of the country the results were 
equally depressing. 
At the Mount Johnson Island Sanctuary for the Bald Eagle near 
Harrisburg, Pa., there has not been a successful nesting since 1947. There 
have been adult birds around the nests in both 1948 and 1958. Says Dr. 
Herbert H. Beck, Custodian of the Mount Johnson Island Sanctuary: 
“Something is evidently wrong with the Bald Eagle. Broley’s suggestion 
of sterilization seems to be logical. The only thing that is definitely known is 
that an adult breeding vair of eagles rarely produces young.” 15 
Sterilization may be one of the biggest causes for the depletion of 
the Bald Eagle, but surely there must be other causes. What are they? 
During the first four years the young Bald Eagle has a dusky head 
and tail, looking much like the Golden Eagle or some hawks. It is during 
these first years that many eagles are shot. These “mistakes” are being 
punished with fines of up to five hundred dollars. Although the law to 
protect Bald Eagles was passed in 1940, the bounty on eagles was just 
ended in 1952. Since 1917 a bounty of $2.00 a head has been paid on 114,291 
eagles. Right now in Canada and Mexico, eagles are being killed without 
mercy. In our own West the Golden Eagle is being hunted by professional 
“hunters” in light airplanes equipped with mounted shotguns that literally 
blast any “eagle” out of the sky. A “hunter” in this fashion may kill as 
many as 25 eagles a day. In fact, one “hunter” is credited with killing 
12,000 eagles in twenty years. 
If vou hapven to see an Indian headdress, take a close look at the 
feathers. You will probably notice that they are black with a white stripe 
hear the end. The tail feathers of the Golden Eagle bear a striking re- 
semblance. As I have previously stated, the immature Bald Eagle is 
almost identical to the Golden Eagle. It would take a skilled birder to 
