Eagle Recovery: Plans in the Pacific States

Each region of the United States has unique oportunities to plan for the recovery of the Bald Eagle. These Regions are:
Chesapeake Bay Region, Northern States Region, Pacific States Region, Southeastern States Region, and the Southwestern States Region. Click on any region to find out more information. The Pacific States plans are given on this page.

Summary:
The main goal of this plan is to provide safe areas for bald eagles to live and breed within the seven-state Pacific recovery area. The numbers of bald eagles should increase so that their listing can be changed from endangered to threatened in five of the states. In the other two, Washington and Oregon, the eagles are already listed as threatened.

In order to have the bald eagle's listing changed, the following things must happen:

1. There must be at least 800 nesting pairs in the region.
2. Each nest must have an average of one baby that lives long enough to "fledge", or learn to fly.
3. These nests must cover at least 80% of the areas where nests are likely to be built.
4. The number of wintering birds must stay the same or increase each year.

Introduction
On February 14, 1978, the bald eagle was listed by the United States government as endangered in all the states on the continent except Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Oregon, and Washington, where they were classified as threatened.

This recovery plan, one of five such plans, outlines the steps needed to help the bald eagles in the seven-state Pacific recovery area. Other recovery plans are for the bald eagles in the Southeast, Southwest, Northern States, and Chesapeake Bay.

This plan was made by the Pacific States Bald Eagle Recovery Team, which was organized by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Endangered Species Act of 1973. It deals with the bald eagles in Idaho, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Wyoming. The plan is based on helping the bald eagle and not on social or political issues.

Where the Bald Eagles Live
The bald eagle's scientific name is Haliaeetus Leucocephalus. It is the only fish or sea eagle in North America. The bald eagle used to breed all over the continent, but eagles now nest mainly in Alaska, Canada, the Pacific Northwest states, the Great Lakes states, Florida, and the Chesapeake Bay. In the winter eagles stay in the breeding areas but mainly go from southern Alaska and southern Canada southward.

There are bald eagles in all seven of the Pacific recovery states, but there are a lot more wintering birds then breeding birds. In 1985, 527 of 635 nesting areas studied were occupied by breeding pairs. That means that 83% of the nests are occupied. More than 25% of all wintering bald eagles in the lower 48 states are in the Pacific recovery area. As many as 4,588 birds have been counted during studies made in the winter.

History
The locations and numbers of bald eagles in the years before World War II are poorly understood. The numbers of bald eagles probably started to go down in the 1800s. Between 1947 and 1970 the numbers went down even more. Bald eagles no longer lived in much of their traditional breeding ranges. Researchers in the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s found that the insect spray DDT was making it hard for the eagles to breed. DDT, they found, caused eagle eggshells to become so thin that eagle young were not hatching. With fewer eagles being born, the number of bald eagles went way down.

The few records that researchers have show that there are a lot fewer eagles in the Pacific Northwest. According to these records, there were many eagles in the region during the late 1800s. Later records suggest that the number of eagles went down in the beginning of the 1900s. But no scientific studies were done until the 1960s.

In some cases the records show that the bald eagle no longer lives in certain areas. For example, bald eagles used to nest in at least 16 California counties where they no longer breed. There were also accounts of bald eagle nests in central, southern, and coastal California. By 1950 very few eagles had returned to nest there. All the breeding pairs disappeared from the Channel Islands and the mainland of southern California in the 1950s, probably because DDT made it impossible for the birds to produce offspring.

Bald eagles used to nest at Pyramid Lake in Nevada, but no eagles have been found there in this century. At least one breeding area on the Boise River in Idaho has been lost since the early 1900s, and more were lost in central Idaho.

There are still a good number of breeding pairs in Washington and Oregon, but fewer than what the records for those states show. In the early 1900s, ten breeding pairs nested on Yaquina Bay in Lincoln County, Oregon, and only one pair nests there now. Records of at least eight breeding sites exist for northeastern Oregon, but only one nesting attempt has been made in the last six years.

There is very little information about Montana. Five sites on the Missouri River and two on the Yellowstone River were left between 1953 and 1975.

In Wyoming most of the eagles were gone by the late 1800s and early 1900s, before there were records. The people who built homes along major rivers probably shot or poisoned most of the eagles. At least three more sites were destroyed by land developers in the last 15 years.

The Nests
The largest number of nests in the seven-state recovery area is in Washington. Most of the nests in Washington are on the San Juan Islands and on the Olympic Peninsula coastline. Fewer nests are found along Hood Canal, on the Kitsap Peninsula, in Island County, and in southwestern Washington. Of 290 nesting areas in Washington, 161 are in the Puget Sound area, including the San Juan Islands; 68 are on the Washington coastline; ten are on the Columbia River; ten are in the Cascade Mountains; eight are on the Olympic Peninsula; and the rest are in the eastern part of the state. Of the 280 areas studied in 1985, 227 were occupied.

Many of the nests in Washington are on private land. Private land owners can do what they want to the areas where eagles live, so the eagles there are in danger.

Oregon has the second highest number of nesting bald eagles in the recovery area. Breeding pairs occupied 132 of the 149 nesting sites studied in 1985. Most of the eagle pairs in Oregon nest on public land. The Klamath Basin has the highest number of pairs in Oregon. There are 60 pairs in this area. Twenty-four pairs nest near high Cascade lakes. The Oregon coastline and lower Columbia River Basin have most of the remaining pairs in the state.

Of 75 nesting areas studied in California in 1985, 59 were occupied. Occupied areas are located in ten northern counties, with almost 45% in Shasta County alone. Most California nests are in publicly owned forests next to reservoirs. Three out of four nests studied in 1979 were near reservoirs.

Montana has at least 66 bald eagle nesting areas. Most of these areas occupied in 1985 were in western Montana. Over half of the nests in Montana are publicly owned, and most of these are on government land.

Forty-four nesting sites have been counted in Wyoming. Thirty-five of these were occupied in 1985. Most of the known nesting areas are in the northwestern part of the state. Yellowstone National Park has 15 nesting sites, six are in Grand Teton National Park, and 11 are near the parks in Teton and Lincoln Counties. Other nesting pairs are spread across the state, including along the Bighorn River and Tongue River in northern Wyoming and the North Platte River in southern Wyoming. Another pair nests just south of the Wyoming state line, near the Little Snake River in Colorado.

Most of the 27 known bald eagle nest sites in Idaho are in the eastern part of the state, along Henry's Fork and South Fork of the Snake River. Other pairs nest near reservoirs in western and northern Idaho. Twenty-two areas were occupied in 1985.

Before 1985 the last known nesting site in Nevada was in 1866 at Pyramid Lake. In 1985 a nesting attempt was made on land near Salmon Falls Creek in Elko County. Even though the pair was unsuccessful, the site is the best possibility in the state.

Number of Young
The average amount of young born and fledged is about 0.93 per occupied nest. In a single year the average has been from 0.38 to 1.58 per occupied nest. Nesting failure rates have averaged 39% and have been from 15 to 71% per year for each state.

Winter Eagles
During the winter eagles in the Pacific recovery area are found near open water. Recent winter counts show that all states except Nevada have more than 400 wintering birds. Washington has the most wintering eagles in the area with 1,126 to 1,624 eagles counted each year. Most eagles wintering in Washington are found along the Skagit, Nooksack, and Sauk River systems, in the Puget Trough, on the Olympic Peninsula, and in the Columbia Basin.

In Oregon most wintering eagles are found in the Klamath and Harney Basins and along the Snake and Columbia Rivers. About 600 eagles winter in the Lower Klamath Basin in Oregon and California. These are eagles that nest here and birds that have migrated here for the winter. The eagles move around at night from one roost to another.

Nearly half of California's wintering bald eagles are in the Klamath Basin. Smaller numbers are found around most of the large lakes and man-made reservoirs in the mountains in northern California and around reservoirs in central and southern California. Some of the state's breeding birds winter near the place where they nest.

In Idaho wintering bald eagles live near open water. Most of the birds are in northern Idaho at Coeur D'Alene and Pend Oreille Lakes, in eastern Idaho along the Henry's and South Forks of the Snake River, and at American Falls Reservoir. As many as 40 eagles have been counted during the winter at Lake Lowell in southwestern Idaho. There are night roosts in eastern Idaho along reservoirs and in mountain valleys.

In Montana wintering bald eagles are spread out and are found around the major rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Many eagles winter at Flathead Lake, the Yellowstone River, and the upper Missouri River. In the fall there are a lot of bald eagles at McDonald Creek in Glacier National Park. A large number of eagles fly north in the spring along the Yellowstone and Shields Rivers.

Wintering eagles in Wyoming are spread around the state. A good number of eagles winter along the North Platte River near Casper. Other important wintering spots are near Woodruff Narrows, and along the Green, Snake, and Bighorn Rivers.

In Nevada bald eagles live in small groups around water that is far away from where people live. Some eagles winter in the north end of Antelope Valley in northeastern Nevada. This valley has very little water, and eagles eat mostly jack rabbits. About 60% of the state's wintering eagles are in western Nevada, 35% are in eastern Nevada, and 5% are in the southern end of the state.

Bald Eagles on the Move
Until recently, little was known about the migration patterns of bald eagles in the western states. Studies show that the Pacific recovery area is an important migration and wintering habitat for eagles that breed in North America. Many of the nesting eagles from the Pacific recovery area remain in the region all year.

Most eagles that breed in the Pacific recovery area probably spend the winter near their nests. Some move to lower elevations where they can find food. Young eagles from nests in the Pacific recovery area don't move with the adults. Young eagles go in many different directions. Many of the eagles that winter in the Pacific recovery area have migrated from breeding sites in northwestern Canada. Others come from coastal areas in British Columbia and southeastern Alaska.

Nesting Areas
Bald eagle nests in the Pacific recovery area are usually in multi-storied groups of trees near water with a lot of food. Most nests in Oregon, Washington, and California are in pine trees.

Bald eagles usually nest in the same area each year and sometimes use the same nest. When a nest is re-used, eagles repair it and add new materials. After a few years a nest can get really big. Nests in the Pacific recovery area are usually two to three feet deep and five feet around. Nest trees often have thick upper branches to support the large nests and open areas so that the eagle, with its large wing span, can fly in and out. The type of tree does not seem as important as its size, branches, and location.

The tree picked for nesting is usually one of the largest in the grove. From the nest tree the eagle likes to be able to see out to the water. Live, older trees with unusual tops are sometimes picked for a nest site. Higher branches usually cover the nest which are almost always within 20 feet of the top of the tree.

Size of the nest tree depends on the type of tree, the forest type, and the area. The mean height of nest trees in the Douglas fir zone of western Oregon is 191 feet, but nest tree height in western Washington averages 116 feet. Nest trees in Wyoming are smaller with heights averaging only 89 feet.

Nest tree species are different in each region. In Idaho large cottonwoods, ponderosa pines, and Douglas fir are used. In Washington 70% of the known nests are in Douglas fir, with Sitka spruce being the next most often used tree. Along the coast and lower Columbia River in Oregon, more than 70% of the nests are in Douglas fir. In the Cascade Mountains and Klamath River Basin, ponderosa pine is the eagle's favorite with Douglas fir second. In California 74% of the nests studied are in ponderosa pine. Sugar pine makes up 14% of the nesting sites. In western Wyoming eagles nest in different types of trees, with 44% of the nests in lodgepole pine, 23% in blue and Engelmann spruce, 16% in Douglas fir, 7% in narrowleaf cottonwoods, and 2% in limber pine. Montana nests are in ponderosa pine and sometimes in Douglas fir.

Cliffs used to be a favorite nesting place for eagles on the California coast. Records show that bald eagles nested in Nevada on a rocky island near Pyramid lake. In 1985 a pair in Nevada became the first to nest on a cliff within the seven-state recovery area in more than 25 years.

In 1984 a pair of bald eagles nested on a power line in Montana. Man-made nests may be used for eagles in some areas. For example, man-made nests may be used to replace or support nests that are falling down. In one case bald eagles nested in new territory where a man-made nest was built. But the use of these nests should be limited to special cases.

Distances of nests from water averaged 282 feet in western Washington, and 1,584 feet in California. In Oregon distances of nests to water differ, but most nests are within a half-mile of the shoreline. Mean distances of Oregon nests from water vary from 470 yards in the Cascade Mountains to 1,236 yards in the Klamath Basin to 1,378 yards in the Columbia River Basin and coastal regions. In Wyoming 83% of the nests are within 200 meters of water.

Bald eagles often construct other nests near the first one. They use one nest one year and another the next. Up to five different nests many be built in one area. In western Washington 38% of the nesting areas have more than one nest. Oregon nesting areas average 1.6 nests per area with 51% of the territories having at least one other nest. In California 56% of the territories have alternate nests. Unused nests are important to the eagles. The reason for multiple nest building is not fully understood. Different nests may be used if the first nest is blown from the tree or destroyed. The time and energy needed to build a new nest might be too much for a pair while they are nesting. Alternate nests may also serve as site markers.

Trees with open limbs or dead tops are often near the nests and are used for perching or as stopover points to and from the nest. These trees are also good places from which the eagle can look out and guard their territory.

Forests with good nest and perch trees are important to the bald eagle. Protecting the trees is an important factor in bald eagle recovery. The recovery team needs to let lumber companies know where the eagles live. They need to be very careful about which trees they cut down and how close they are to the eagles.

The spacing between nests depends on the land and its ability to support the eagles. In southern central Oregon the mean distance between nesting territories was 3.2 km. In western Washington the average was 2.6 km. In Shasta County, an area where a lot of eagles live in California, distances between nests averaged 2.4 km. The distance between nests is important to know. New studies show that nests less that 3.2 km apart had less successful nests than nests with more space.

Bald eagles do not like to be disturbed by people during breeding season. Eagles sometimes leave their nests when they are bothered. Each eagle pair seems to behave differently when disturbed. In general, adult eagles are more easily disturbed during courtship, egg-laying, and incubation. They are less easily disturbed as the young develop. In Oregon researchers found that nests were less successful when there was a lot of logging and road use. The most successful nests in Washington are the farthest away from human activity.

Winter Areas
Wintering eagles in the Pacific recovery area perch in different types of trees. Probably the best perches have an open view and are close to food supplies. Man-made perches may be important to wintering bald eagles when there are no natural perches.

Roost sites are also found near a good food source. The are usually in forests that have trees of different sizes and ages. Many eagles will get together and roost for the night. These sites are usually better protected from the weather than most perches which are mostly used in the day. Eagles like to roost as far away from human activity as possible.

Automobile traffic seems to be one of the least disturbing human activities for wintering bald eagles. Airplanes don't seem to bother them much, either. Eagles don't like motorboats or fishermen on the shore and ice. In some areas hikers are more disturbing than cars but less disturbing than boats.

Food
A good food supply is probably the most important part of bald eagle breeding and wintering areas. Fish, waterfowl, jack rabbits, and different types of dead animals, called carrion, are the most common food sources for bald eagles in the Pacific recovery area. A good food source does not always attract the eagle. They like areas with prey that are dead, dying, or injured in some way. Because of this, eagles will eat a variety of different foods each year.

In the fall and winter eagles like to feed on salmon, especially on the Nooksach and Skagit Rivers in Washington. There is a danger that this food supply will not last if the fishermen don't stop overfishing.

Wintering eagles also eat many fish in the seven-state recovery region. Land-locked kokanee salmon are important food sources in Oregon, California, Idaho, and Montana. Other species that eagles eat are: whitefish, squawfish, c

arp, suckers, chub, and trout. Coots, mallards, and chukars are the most important food items for eagles wintering at reservoirs on the Columbia River. In the Klamath Basin wintering eagles feed on crippled waterfowl and waterfowl weakened or killed by cholera or lead poisoning. Birds make up over 82% of the prey taken by eagles on Upper Klamath Lake from October through February. Gulls and coots are important at reservoirs in California.

Dead mammals are eaten by bald eagles in Washington, Montana, central Oregon, and parts of California. Eagles feed on voles in the Klamath Basin. Snowshoe hare and dead deer may be important to eagles in Oregon's Cascade Lakes during the winter.

Eagles nesting in southern central Oregon have a diet that includes 16 species of fish, 36 species of birds, 15 species of mammals, and two invertebrate species. Fish make up 62% of the diet during the breeding season, and mammals make up less than 10% of the diet. Trout and whitefish are the main fish taken by eagles nesting on the Cascade Lakes. Chubs, suckers, centrarchids, and bullheads are more important in the Klamath Basin. Grebes, ducks, and coots are the main birds eaten by eagles nesting in southern central Oregon. On some southern central Oregon reservoirs, eagles get up to 28% of their food by stealing food from other animals. But most breeding adult eagles are very good hunters of live prey.

In Idaho eagles eat bigger animals that they find dead. They also eat waterfowl and jack rabbits in the early part of the nesting season. In late spring they eat mostly fish.

At California reservoirs eagles' prey include bass, crappie, catfish, sucker, carp, trout, hardhead, Sacramento squawfish, western grebe, pied-billed grebe, white-fronted goose, snow goose, mallard, American widgeon, gadwall, green-winged teal, shoveler, ring-necked pheasant, common crow, muskrat, jack rabbit, and ground squirrel.

The continued growth of the human population is the bald eagle's biggest problem. People are using more and more land. They are building houses and roads. Logging, mining, camping, and other human activities make it harder and harder for the eagle to find safe places to live. The land needs to be protected and the people educated so they don't disturb this great bird.

Shooting is the most common cause of eagle death. Scientists reported that, between 1960 and 1965, more than half of the dead eagles they studied died of gunshot wounds. Yet, between 1978 and 1981, less than 20% had been shot. This shows that people are not shooting bald eagles as much as they did in the past. Of 40 eagles examined since 1976 in the seven-state recovery region, nine had been shot. The rest of the eagles died from other causes, such as injuries, electrocution, poisoning, diseases, and drowning.

The bald eagle had become a more successful breeder since people stopped using DDT and other pesticides. Some eagles are still laying thin-shelled eggs, especially those along the lower Columbia River, but generally the number of bald eagles is going up.

Lead poisoning is another problem for the eagles. When they eat crippled or dead birds that have been shot with lead, the lead gets into the eagle and can cause sickness and death. Other poisons in the environment are problems for the eagle. Dioxin, endrin, heptachlor epoxide, mercury, and PCBs are still found in the eagle's food supply. Pest control poisons like strychnine, which are used on rats, can poison an eagle who eats a dead rat.

Electrocution and injuries caused by power lines are other threats to the bald eagle. More deaths have been reported from eagles running into power lines and getting seriously injured than from actual electrocution. But both present a problem for the bird.

A lot of work has been done by the government, private groups, and people to help the bald eagle since the 1960s. Bald eagles were protected under the Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940. They got more help from the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Eagles are also protected by many state laws.

Many steps have been taken to stop the shooting of bald eagles. The Nation Wildlife Federation offers a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest of people who have shot eagles.

Electric companies in the Pacific recovery area have tried to solve the problems eagles were having with power lines. The Idaho Power Company, for example, did work on their lines to make them safer for eagles.

There are also more places where injured eagles can get care if they are injured. These eagles, who might have been lost, are returned to the wild as often as possible.

Each year the National Wildlife Federation counts wintering bald eagles in the seven-state region. Federal, state, and private groups get together to do studies of bald eagle numbers in both the winter and spring. This gives researchers the information they need to help the eagle recover.

Companies that cut down trees have been told about bald eagle nests, so less of the trees that are so important to the eagles are taken out. People and groups have joined together to buy a few pieces of land where eagles roost or breed.

From 1980 to 1985 David Garcelon at the Institute for Wildlife Studies released 25 fledgling-aged eagles on Santa Catalina Island off the coast of southern California. In the winter of 1985, 11 of the birds released stayed on the island.

Many groups have gotten together to educate people about the bald eagle. There have been many programs on TV about eagles.

The government made June 20, 1982 "National Bald Eagle Day". This was done to thank all the people who have been working so hard to save the eagle.

All these actions mark the beginning of the bald eagle's recovery in the Pacific recovery area. This recovery plan is meant to keep the recovery going.

Goals
The goal of this recovery plan is to outline the steps needed to provide safe places for bald eagles in the seven-state Pacific recovery area and to help the eagles grow in numbers so that their listing can be changed from endangered to threatened in all seven of the states.

Bald eagles are now listed as threatened in Oregon and Washington. The listing could be changed in the other states if the number of nesting pairs keep going up.

Changing the listing will be based on the following things:

1. There should be at least 800 nesting pairs in the seven-state area.
2. These pairs should be producing at least 1.0 fledged young per pair. The average success rate per occupied site must be 65% or more over a five-year period.
3. The number of nesting pairs must be spread out over 80% of the area with nesting potential.
4. If 100 birds or more disappear from a wintering area for a long period of time, then the bald eagle should not have its listing changed.

Recovery Outline
Below is an outline for bald eagle recovery in the seven-state Pacific recovery region. Under each main heading is a list of things that should be done to help the eagle. Some of these points are in the form of questions that the recovery team might ask.

1. Provide a Safe Habitat. Providing safe places where eagles can live, breed, feed, and winter is very important for the survival of the species.
   1. Find the breeding and nonbreeding habitats.
      1. Find all nest sites, roosts, feeding areas, and migration areas.
      2. Find land that will be good for bald eagles in the future.
   2. Make the places for breeding and nonbreeding safe for eagles. Much of the land used by bald eagles in the Pacific recovery area could be lost to human building and development if the laws are not changed. Land use and zoning laws could help in some cases. In others it may be better for the government to buy land when it is owned privately and used by eagles.
   3. Take care of land the eagles use by improving the food supply.
      1. Improve the bald eagle's food supply. Make sure the eagles have enough fish. Stock bodies of water with fish if needed. Make sure that no chemicals are put in the water.
      2. Take care of birds and mammals that eagles eat. Make sure that wetlands are protected for the birds. Leave dead birds and mammals for the eagles to eat. Flood fields in winter so rodents come out for bald eagles to eat.
   4. Make sure that the trees are protected in both breeding and wintering areas.
      1. Protect forests that are already used by eagles.
      2. Protect forests that could be used by eagles in the future.
   5. Keep people away from the eagles.
      1. Make safe areas around nest sites.
      2. Try to stop logging and building around nest areas. Keep people away when the eagles are nesting.
      3. Stop building and logging in eagle wintering areas.
      4. Stop all cars and trucks from driving near the eagles.
      
      
2. Study the Bald Eagle.
   1. information on land used by bald eagles.
      1. Find out if there are any changes to the land used by eagles.
      2. Find out what eagles look for when they choose an area to breed, roost, and winter. Find out what they like to eat. What things do people do that bother them?
   2. Collect information on the eagles and their numbers.
      1. Find out how many eagles there are and what things affect this number. Check on the nests to see how many young are born. Find out how many wintering birds are in each area. Count numbers of nonbreeding eagles during the breeding season. Count young and adult eagles that have died.
      2. Do more studies on what things are keeping the bald eagle population from growing. Find out how eagles are dying. See what poisons in the environment are killing eagles. Are there any genetic factors that can be studied?
      
      
3. Teach People About the Bald Eagle.
   1. Let people know what's going on with the bald eagle. It is important that people understand the eagle and its habits. Telling people not to shoot eagles is the first step. Then they should learn more about eagles. They need to learn about what bald eagles eat and where they are at different times of the year. TV shows are good for teaching people. Posters and slide programs are good, too. Let people know it is against the law to shoot or keep eagles. Teach them how to take care of sick eagles. Teach private land owners about the eagles. Let them know how important it is that they don't bother the eagles on their land.
   2. Enforce the law. Eagles are now protected by federal and state laws. Law enforcement agents and lawyers can help the eagles. All groups need to work together to find out if anyone is hurting the eagles and to arrest them. Let people know it is illegal to buy, sell, or trade eagle parts. Organizations could offer rewards for information leading to the arrest of anyone who breaks the law.
   3. Watch areas that are important for the eagles. At some nest sites, roosting areas, and other areas guards may have to stay there to watch out for the eagles. They may have to keep hikers or people with land vehicles or boats away from the eagles.
   
   
4. Protect the Bald Eagle.
   1. Prevent eagles from being killed.
      1. Keep hunters and trappers away from the eagles.
      2. Keep environmental poisons like DDT away from the eagles.
      3. Stop poisoning the animals that eagles eat.
      4. Tell hunters not to use lead shot.
      5. Make plans for emergencies like oil spills or disease outbreaks.
      6. Change power lines so eagles don't get hurt or electrocuted. Don't put lines near roost sites or on migration routes.
      7. Help injured or sick birds so they can go back into the wild.
   2. Help the eagles breed if necessary.
      1. It is very costly, but if improving eagle habitats does not help the eagles, the recovery team may use foster-parenting. This may be necessary if a breeding pair fails to hatch eggs or if the nestlings die.
      2. Find new breeding places. Use areas that seem like they would be good for bald eagles. Try hacking eagles from other sources.
      3. Develop captive breeding programs when needed.