No empty-nest syndrome for Georgia's bald eagles

ALBANY - Bald eagles, which had virtually disappeared from Georgia&#39;s skies by 1971 because of pollutants and habitat loss, can now be found in 34 of the state&#39;s 159 counties. <br> <br> In its 2002 bald-eagle nesting survey, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said the 34 counties had at least one occupied nest. Fifty-one of the nests produced 84 young eagles in the past year. Georgia had 50 nests with 92 young eagles the year before. <br> <br> ``Since nesting success fluctuates from year to year, the fact that this year&#39;s survey indicated eight fewer eagles ... is not a cause for alarm,&#39;&#39; said Jim Ozier, a DNR wildlife biologist who works with eagles. ``Long-term trends point to a growing eagle population in Georgia.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The survey, which reflects the successful recovery efforts of state and federal wildlife agencies, found 73 occupied eagle territories. They ranged from Murray County in the north to Lowndes County in the south and from the Chattahoochee River to the Atlantic Ocean. <br> <br> Bald eagles became the national bird in 1782 over the objections of Benjamin Franklin, who preferred turkeys. At that time, there were an estimated 100,000 nesting bald eagles in the continental United States. By 1963, there were only 417 nesting pairs. <br> <br> The birds were almost driven to extinction in the 1960s because of pesticides, habitat loss and other problems caused by humans. They were especially hard hit by DDT, a widely used pesticide that accumulated in the tissues of fish and other prey. As it passed on to eagles, the birds began laying eggs with thin shells that broke during incubation. <br> <br> During most of the 1970s, no active bald eagle nests could be found in Georgia. <br> <br> That began to change with the banning of DDT in 1972, the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973 and increased public awareness about environmental problems. <br> <br> The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service designated the bald eagle an endangered species in all but five states in 1973. Because of its remarkable comeback, the bald eagle was reclassified as a threatened species, but is still protected by two additional laws - the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. <br> <br> Georgia continues to treat eagles as an endangered species. <br> <br> Bald eagles are large brown birds with a white head and tail. Females can weigh 14 pounds and have 14-foot wingspans. Males are smaller at 7 to 10 pounds with 6 1/2-foot wingspans. <br> <br> Some Americans may never experience the thrill of seeing the majestic raptors soaring high in the sky or snatching a fish from a lake. But even city dwellers can observe them at zoos, such as the Parks of Chehaw in Albany. <br> <br> Chehaw has two rehabilitated eagles that can&#39;t be released into the wild because of injuries. <br> <br> ``We&#39;re able to give them fish, rodents and specially ground meat for birds of prey,&#39;&#39; said Chehaw Executive Director John Fowler. ``They have a pool and we bring people in for them to look at every day. <br> <br> ``It&#39;s actually a nice way for these animals to spend the rest of their lives,&#39;&#39; he said. ``They become ambassadors for their species.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> An earlier pair lived at Chehaw, mated and provided two chicks for the state&#39;s eagle recovery program, he said. <br> <br> ``There was a little bit of concern when bald eagles were down-listed from endangered to threatened,&#39;&#39; Fowler said. ``But that was our goal. It&#39;s good to see that efforts like this can yields these successful results.&#34;