The 21st Show

Bald Eagles In Illinois: Rebound And Risks

Produced by Ryan Andrew Wilde and Tinisha Spade
 
In this Tuesday, March 3, 2020, photograph, a bald eagle sits in a tree in the Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge near San Antonio, N.M.

In this Tuesday, March 3, 2020, photograph, a bald eagle sits in a tree in the Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge near San Antonio, N.M. AP Photo/David Zalubowski

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America’s most iconic bird, the Bald Eagle, was declared an endangered species in 1967 and at its lowest numbers, there were only three nests in Illinois.  But the species' population has rebounded in the past two decades. Here in Illinois there are now nests in all 102 counties. However, there are still environmental threats: climate change, and lead poisoning, amongst others.

The 21st spoke to a bird expert and a Vermilion County Conservation District educator about how the bald eagle has rebounded and it’s prospects for the future.

GUESTS:

Dr. Michael Ward 
Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences and Senior Ornithologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey at the University of Illinois

Susan Biggs Warner 
Vermilion County Conservation District educator

 

Prepared for web by Zainab Qureshi

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