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Haliaeetus leucocephalus or bald eagles, ranges throughout North America except in the very far north. And It is the national emblem of the United States. Bald Eagles are fish, or sea eagles, so called because they’re skilled at catching fish, as well as sea birds and small land mammals. (They also feed on carrion and may steal prey from other raptors.) While the species is seen almost everywhere in Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico, larger populations congregate in coastal areas.
Most Bald Eagles breed in the northern part of their range, building enormous nests in areas where food is plentiful. They are long-lived birds, surviving up to fifty years in captivity, but less in the wild where they face many more threats.
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What is the home-range of the Bonelli’s eagle? Do males and females share territories? Do patterns of spatial use vary during the year? A study led by the UB’s Conservation Biology Group provides new information on spatial patterns of the Bonelli’s eagle (Aquila fasciata), an emblematic species of the Mediterranean area and considered endangered across Europe. The study, published in the international journal The Ibis, provides new data on the spatial use of the species which reveal valuable new ecological information and will form the basis of new territorial conservation and species management strategies.
“The classical approach of protecting only the breeding areas is no longer sufficient,” explains Joan Real, head of the Conservation Biology Group, who argues that, “We also need to protect areas further from nesting sites but ideal for hunting, as these are key to the survival of territorial individuals.” The article, which explains that Bonelli’s eagles often use areas that have great biological value but are generally unprotected, is the fruit of a project supported by the Barcelona City Council and the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science.
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It is estimated that there are well over 200 breeding pairs of bald eagles (Halia & eacute;etus leucoéphalus) in Nova Scotia, many of them concentrated around the Bras d’Or Lakes in Cape Breton. To gather information on the survival and movement of the birds, the Department of Natural Resources initiated a program of eaglet banding in the late 1970s. From 1977 to 1988, over 580 Cape Breton eaglets were banded in the nest. Last year, the carcasses of three of these, along with their bands, were recovered.
The first eagle was found dead near Grand Narrows, Cape Breton County on April 21, 1997. The pathology department at the Atlantic Veterinary College in P.E.I. determined that the cause of death was possibly due to drowning or hypothermia. The adult female was in good body condition with no sign of traumatic injury or poisoning. It had been banded on June 25, 1979, at False Bay, Richmond County.
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Harpy Eagle is a beautiful bird that calls the lands of Mexico and Argentina home. These magnificent birds are among the most powerful eagles known to man. The tropical rain forests of Mexico and Argentina are the natural habitats for this large bird. The Harpy eagle can reach a weight of twenty pounds and grow up to three and a half feet. The wingspan can reach as long as six and a half feet. These large birds feed off of small animals, such as monkeys and opossums.
Sadly, the Harpy Eagle has found a spot on the endangered species list. The endangered Harpy Eagle often falls victim to numerous threats, causing their population numbers to diminish. As the human population continues to grow, the population numbers of this eagle continue to drop.
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