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Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Since 1980, the number of active eagle nests in the state has increased steadily and now numbers over 550. Unfortunately, reproductive rates in the Hood Canal and Lower Columbia River areas remain below the target level of one young per nest per year. Biologists are investigating the role of contaminants, such as DDE and PCBs, in reducing productivity in these areas.
Recent research has also addressed the effects of human disturbance on nesting bald eagles. A new study will investigate how wintering eagles are affected by human activities.
In 1995, bald eagle populations in other states were downlisted from endangered to threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The eagle's legal status in Washington, where it was already classified as threatened, was unchanged by this decision.
For more information, please take a look at the Wildlife Research Division's Skagit River Bald Eagle Project
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