Eagle Resources - Bibliography
Books
Challenger: America's Favorite Eagle (40 pages) Reading Level - Ages 4 to 8
Raven, Margot Theis (2005)
Chelsea, MI: Sleeping Bear Press
Challenger, an American bald eagle, is this country's most popular winged mascot. He was blown out of his nest as an eaglet and taken in by humans. After several failed attempts to release Challenger back into the wild, he was taken to the American Eagle Foundation. It was there that trainer Al Cecere recognized the rare opportunity to work with an uninjured eagle that had imprinted on humans. He knew Challenger, as a free flying bald eagle, a sight few Americans actually witness, could become an ambassador bringing attention to the plight of these beautiful birds. Readers will recognize Challenger from the appearances he has made- ranging from such varied venues as the White House and the 100th Anniversary of National Wildlife Refuge System, the Pentagon and the Olympic Torch Ceremony. In addition Challenger has flown at the World Series and the 100th Anniversary of Flight at Kitty Hawk. Challenger has also appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, Good Morning America, Larry King Live, the Disney Channel, and Animal Planet. (Ref: http://www.amazon.com).
The Bald Eagle
Stalmaster, Mark V. (1987)
New York: Universe Books
This book is one of the two most comprehensive volumes on the bald eagle available anywhere. Much like The Bald Eagle: Haunts and Habits of a Wilderness Monarch, the text contains massive amounts of relevant information on almost every conceivable topic related to the bald eagle. In addition to those topics covered in the the Gerrard & Bortolotti book, this text describes interactions with humans, protective management, habitat use and winter ecology and migration. The perfect text for in-depth information in condensed form.
The Bald Eagle: Haunts and Habits of a Wilderness Monarch
Gerrard, Jon M. & Bortolotti, Gary R. (1988)
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, D. C.: Smithsonian Institution Press
If you can only afford to purchase one book on the bald eagle, this is the one to choose. Every possible topic is covered in detail, accompanied by black & white photographs, graphs, charts, and maps as well as appropriate literary reflections. This book explores the history of the bald eagle, physical descriptions, flight capabilities, protective mechanisms, nesting, territories, anatomy, courtship, mating, growth and development,diet, hunting, habitats, survival and mortality, threats and causes of endangerment. Each chapter begins with the author's personal reflections on the topic. The text is so well-written that more information is covered in these short chapters than in massive volumes written by other authors.
Bald Eagles
Lepthien, Emilie U. (1989)
Chicago: Children's Press, Inc.
This small, simply written text provides a good overview of eagles. It includes a brief page of text and color photographs on the eagle body and wings, nests, and eaglets as well as information on its endangerment and ways to save and protect the bald eagle. Although the text is scanty, the information is useful for students who want a very quick overview of these topics.
Beastly Behaviors: A Zoo-Lover's Companion
Benyus, Janine M. (1992)
Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company
This fascinating book contains chapters on the world's most watchable animals, including the bald eagle. An in-depth report on eagle behaviors and their value in terms of adaptation to the ecosystem or habitat. The eagle chapter reports on locomotion, feeding, friendly and conflict behaviors and sexual and parenting behaviors. Each behavior is discussed in detail with black & white line drawings to illustrate important points. This text gives the biological and adaptive reasons for eagle behaviors. Excellent choice for students researching the topics discussed in the chapter.
Bird Flight
Burton, Robert (1990)
London: Eddison Sadd Editions Ltd.
This beautifully illustrated text on bird flight contains high-quality, full-color photographs, diagrams, and drawings to illustrate every aspect of bird flight. The text is well-written and should appeal to older students or those with some knowledge of birding. Although the text is fairly long, the bald eagle itself is only referred to a few times. However, other eagle species are represented as well, and many aspects of bird flight are common across various sub-groups of species. This text would make good reading for those who are interested in a broad range of bird flight behaviors, but it is not particularly well-suited for focused research on one species.
The Birder's Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds
Ehrlich, Paul R., Dobkin, David S. & Wheye, Darryl (1988)
New York: Simon and Schuster
The first of its kind: a portable library of fascinating information. For each of the 646 species of birds that breed in North America, this book will tell at a glance: where the bird nests and which sex(es) build(s) the nest, how many eggs the bird lays, what the eggs look like, which parent incubates the eggs, how long and how the young are cared for, food preferences and foraging habits. In addition, this tome contains inserted chapters on DDT and Birds, Bird Biology and the Arts, Metallic Poisons, Eye Color and Development, Pellets and a special section on Hawaiian Bird Biology. This is an all-inclusive, must-have volume for anyone researching birds and their behavior.
Birds and How They Function
Callahan, Philip S. (1979)
New York: Holiday House
This text covers bird behaviors in general, rather than specific species in depth. Lightly illustrated with black & white photographs and line drawings, this book contains valuable information about the principles underlying the entire life cycle and behavior of birds from evolution to physical adaptations (feathers, beaks, etc.), digestive systems, flight, bird territories, bird calls, migrating and survival in general. Though not specially focused on a specific species, the information contained in this volume would support students' understanding of the concepts and causes of bird behaviors and functions.
Birds of the World: Birds of Prey
Mackenzie, John P. S. (1986)
Ashland, WI: Birch Paper Press
Contains beautiful, large, full-color photographs of the secretary bird, osprey, American vultures, falcons, hawks, eagles, owls and barn owls. Each photo contains a brief caption primarily explaining the photograph rather than giving scientific information about the species. Many species of eagles have been photographed, but there is only a small section on the bald eagle.
The Daywatchers
Parnell, Peter (1984)
New York: MacMillan Publishing Company
Large picture book of hand-drawn illustrations of birds of prey. The author approaches his topic from the point of view of an artist and interested naturalist without formal training. The section on the bald eagle describes encounters with, and observations of, the bald eagle in the wild. The text describes the personal emotions the author felt during these events.
Eagles: The World of Animals
Brown, Leslie (1970)
New York: Arthur Baker
This book contains a great deal of information and black & white photographs on all varieties of eagles. Although different species of eagles share common features, many characteristics are not shared by all species. This makes the text somewhat difficult to navigate in search of a particular species such as the bald eagle. The topics covered in the text include eagle facts, the eagle day, eagles as hunters, eagles at home, the young eagle, and eagles and economics.
Eagles
Stone, Lynn M. (1989)
Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Enterprises, Inc.
This small, illustrated description of eagles covers in simple language and excellent photography where eagles live, how they look, their weapons, routine, nests, eaglets, prey, and reaction to humans. Perfect for a very brief introduction to the topic for younger students.
Eagles
Wormer, Joe Van (1985)
New York: Lodestar Books
This book describes the basic facts about golden and bald eagles through black & white photographs and simple text. The topics covered include the eagle as a symbol, physical characteristics and adaptations, eagle nesting sites, eagle maturation, hunting, myths about eagles, and eagle rescue and recovery. Although these topics are covered, none are dealt with in detail. This makes the text more useful for a quick overview than for in-depth study.
The Eagle and the River
Craighead, Charles (1994)
Photographs by Tom Mangelsen
New York: Macmillan Publishing Company
A juvenile picture book describing in high-quality photographs and text one eagle's hunt for food along the Snake River in Wyoming. This book gives a great deal of information about the other creatures in the ecosystem upon which the eagle relies for a food source. Although the photographs depict this cycle of hunting well, the text itself is lightweight and not as informative as needed for serious research on the diet or hunting techniques of the bald eagle.
Eagles: Lions of the Sky
Bernhard, Emery & Bernhard, Durga (1994)
Holiday House: New York
An extremely simple text with drawings to illustrate for children in almost story fashion the different types of eagles and their habitats, courtship and mating, nests, food, growth and relations with humans. This small book is useful for introducing children to some of the important topics in the study of eagles.
Eagles of America
Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw (1995)
New York: Holiday House
A fairly new book, with limited content but which contains lovely color photographs and pertinent information about eagles' status and efforts to help them survive. The book discusses both the golden and the bald eagle with regard to physical characteristics, reproduction, food and growth. Appropriate for a quick look at these eagle topics.
Eagles of the World
Brown, Leslie (1976)
Newton Abbot: David & Charles
As the title of the book suggests, the descriptions in this text pertain to all varieties of eagles throughout the world. Only two eagle species, the golden and the bald, can be found in the United States. This book gives an extremely detailed look at the different species of eagles, their physical characteristics and adaptations, behaviors both away from the nest and outside the breeding season as well as during the breeding cycle, the growth and development of young, and the important issue of eagle conservation. The text is illustrated through black & white drawings and features extensive graphs, diagrams, and maps that pertain to eagle populations throughout the world.
Eyewitness Books: Birds
Burnie, David (1988)
New York: Alfred A. Knopf
A photo essay on the world of birds, examining such topics as body construction, feathers and flight, the adaptation of beaks and feet, feeding habits, courtship, nests, eggs and bird watching. The bald eagle is not addressed specifically, but the text is written at a level appropriate for middle school students, and the excellent and detailed illustrations provide support for each explanation.
A Field Guide to Birds' Nests
Harrison, Hal H. (1975)
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company
Discusses 285 bird species found breeding in the United States east of the Mississippi River. Contains a short, but highly technical description of each type of nest and description of eggs laid in a clutch.
Birds of Prey at the Vermont Raptor Center, Display
Laughlin, S. B., Martin, N. L., & Read, N. (1990)
Environments and Rehabilitation Facilities. Woodstock: Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences. A well-rounded view of many aspects of captive raptor care and rehabilitation. Descriptions and photos are included of the various enclosures used at the Vermont Raptor Center, from hospital facilities to rehabilitation caging to landscaped habitat displays. Care of injured and display birds is discussed at length, including topics such as transporation, release criteria, and dealing with the public. Sensitivity to the bird's well-being, both physical and psychological, is emphasized. Interpretive programs and displays are also discussed. A 1990 addendum features species-specific flight cage designs for raptors.
How Birds Migrate
Kerlinger, Paul. Illustrations by Pat Archer (1995)
Mechanicsburg, PA; Stackpole Books
In black & white diagrams and illustrations, the author describes in exacting detail the migration patterns of birds through research data gathered through radio telemetry. Though the bald eagle is not specifically mentioned, characteristics of eagles and soaring and gliding birds in general are discussed in detail. All descriptions are explained through case studies of particular types of birds. Students must make the connections among the species and bird groups to fully benefit from this text.
Life Histories of North American Birds of Prey
Bent, Arthur Cleveland (1961)
Parts I & II. New York: Dover
An encyclopedic collection of information about more than a hundred different subspecies of hawks, eagles, falcons, buzzards, condors and owls. Detailed descriptions of nesting habits, plumage, egg form and distribution, food behavior, field marks, voice, winter habits, range, courtship procedures, molting information and migratory habits of every North Amerian bird of prey. Although this book contains a great deal of information on all types of birds, including the northern and southern varieties of bald eagles, the text is written in the voice of writers from past centuries. This and the small print make the book extremely difficult to read.
Silent Spring
Carson, Rachel (1962)
Houghton Mifflin Company: New York
Rarely does a single book alter the ocurse of history, but Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring did exactly that. The outcry that followed its publicatin in 1962 forced the banning of DDT and spurred revolutionary changes in the laws affecting our air, land, and water. This elegantly stated description of the history, science, and dangers of the chemicals that almost destroyed the nation's ecosystem is without question one of the landmark books of the twentieth century. No individual interested in the dangers posed by unthinking use of poisons in the environment should go without reading this book. The causes and effects of DDT and other pesticides and the legal system which allowed and even encouraged its use are described in detail. The first three chapters should be accessible to students and provide the basic background needed to fully understand the effects of chemical pesticides on the environment; however, the text quickly becomes fairly difficult and is laced with technical terms.
Sovereign Wings: The North American Bald Eagle
Barrie, Jack A. & Lauber, Lon E. (Photographers) (1990)
Hong Kong: Thomasson-Grant, Inc.
This beautiful picture book of bald eagles contains a brief introduction to the bald eagle, its behaviors, appearance, and current status as an endangered species as well as fabulous photographs of eagles in every possible activity in which they engage. For those impressed with the beauty and majesty of the bald eagle, this book contains much that will catch your eye.
Water, Prey, and Game Birds of North America
Westmore, Alexander (1965)
Washington, D. C.: National Geographic Society
This well-illustrated book contains National Georgraphic quality text and photographic illustrations. In addition to an introductory chapter on the evolution of birds, the book contains a by-species chapter on the water, prey, and game birds of North America. The chapter on eagles, written by Frederick Kent Truslow, contains a description of the author's attempts to record the birth and growth of a clutch of bald eagles. The text is accompanied by informative text and wonderfully detailed photographs of each stage of the eagle's growth and development.
Where the Bald Eagles Gather
Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw (1984)
New York: Ticknor & Fields: A Houghton Mifflin Company
This short describes in simple text and black & white photographs the gathering of bald eagles in Glacier National Park in Montana during the fall. The book discusses this unusual event and the reasons it occurs as well as general information about the bald eagle. The text explains how and on what the eagle feeds, eagle size, eagle radio telemetry and its purpose, migration, nesting, and the eagle's endangerment. As with many texts this size, the book is more appropriate for a quick overview or review of the topics than for in-depth study.
The Wonder of Birds
National Geographic Society (1983)
Washingon, D. C.: The National Geographic Society
This coffee-table book about birds is exquisitely illustrated by the photographic teams of the National Geographic Society. The text is written by avian experts who write about general topics related to birds. For example, the first chapter entitled "A Celebration of Birds" talks about the rhythm of nature found in music and in the seasonal cycles of bird life such as migration, courtship, nesting, shedding, silence and song. A final index describes birdwatching possibilities by state. Specific information about the bald eagle is limited, however.
The Way of the Eagle: Reader's Digest Condensed Book
Mannix, Dan (1965). A condensation of The Last Eagle
This fictionalized account of the growth and development of a clutch of bald eagles is narrated by the second male sibling in a bald eagle family. Based on actual research about the bald eagle, this novel tells the story of the struggle to survive the harsh realities of eagle life. Dan Mannix relates this tale with sensitivity and humor.
Eagles: Zoobooks
Wildlife Education Ltd. (1993)
San Diego, CA : Wildlife Education Ltd.
photographs, superb color drawings, graphs, experiments to conduct, and other illustrations give a concise, detailed explanation of many important topics related to eagles. This issue describes the four groups of eagles, eagle flight, wing anatomy, foods and hunting, eagle young and thier care and the future of eagles. Two other issues in the series pertain to eagles as well: Birds of Prey (1986) and Endangered Species (1987).
Periodicals and Journals
All-American Survivor
Laycock, George (1991)
Wildlife Conservation, July-August, 1991, 38-46.
Avian Malaria: A Review of Three Cases and the Pertinent Literature
Redig, P. T. (1993)
Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Association of Avian Veterinarians, Nashville, Tenn.
The Bald Eagle
Toland, Brian
Missouri Conservation Department, p.2.
Bald Eagle Comes Back
Graham, Frank Jr.
Audubon, July-August, 1994, pp.35-41.
Bald Eagle Winter Roosts on the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers
Martell, M. S., Gieck, C., Nibe, J. B., Erickson, D., Mandernack, B.,&Redig, P. T.
Unpublished Report to Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
A Comparison of Morphometric and Surgical Technique for Sexing Bald Eagles
Garcelon, D., Martell, M., & Redig, P. T. (1985)
Journal of Wildlife Management 49(3), 595-599.
The Diagnosis & Treatment of Lead Poisoning in Bald Eagles and Trumpeter Swans
Redig, P. T. (1987)
Proceedings of the First International Conference on Zoological and Avian Medicine, Turtle Bay Hilton, Oahu, Hawaii.
Eagles on the Rise
Porteous, Peter L. (1992)
National Geographic; November, 182 (5), pp.41-55.
Eagles, Hawks, Falcons & Vultures of Missouri
Missouri Conservation Department, p. 4.
Giants of the Eagle Kind
Line, Les (1996)
International Wildlife ; July-August, 1996.
The Introduction of Three Native Raptors into the Midwestern United States
Martell, M. S., Tordoff, H. B., & Redig, P. T. (1992)
In Proceedings of IV World Conference on Birds of Prey, May, Berlin, Germany.
Lead Toxicosis in Raptors
Redig, P. T., Stowe, L. & Arendt, T. (1980)
JAVMA 177(9), 941-943.
Missouri's Eagles, Hawks, Falcons & Vultures
Missouri Conservation Commission
Missouri Conservationist pp. 2-15.
Raptor Research & Rehabilitation Program at the College of Veterinary Medicine
Redig, P. T. & Duke, G. E. (1978)
The Minnesota Veterinarian 18(1), 27-34.
Recoveries and Resightings of Released Rehabilitated Raptors
Duke, G. E., Redig, P. T., & Jones, W.
Raptor Research 15(4), 97-107.
Recoveries and Resightings of Released Rehabilitated The Rehabilitation & Release of Bald and Golden Eagles: A Review of 245 Cases
Redig, P. T., Duke, G. E., & Swanson, P. (1984)
Proceedings of Bald Eagle/Osprey Symposium, 137-148.
Special Publication of the Raptor Research Foundation.
The Release of One-eyed, One-footed and Otherwise Physically Impaired Raptors
Redig, P. T., Degernes, L., & Martell, M. (1988)
Proceedings of the Natinal Wildlife Rehabilitators' Association Annueal Meeting, Foster City, California.
Return of a Native
Audubon, July-August, 1994, pp. 42-49.
Successful Rehabilitation & Reintroduction Program of Bald Eagles
Griffin, C. & Redig, P. T. (1978)
Wildlife Society Bulletin 6(1), 44-45.
Survival and Movement of Released Rehabilitated Bald Eagles
Martell, M. P., Redig, P. T., & Buhl, G. (1991)
Journal of Raptor Research 25(3), 72-76.
Videos
Adaptations
Nature Episodes
Bills, colors, legs, plumage, and nesting sites are examined in several species of North American birds to explain how adaptations enable survival.
Behavior
Nature Episodes
Everything a bird does; the place it nests, methods used to find a mate, and how it eludes prdators have been developed to enable each bird to survive in its own unique environment.
Eagles
Nature Episodes
A pair of bald eagles is followed from courtship through incubation and the raising of their young through the first year.
Flight for Survival
The New Explorers
Conservationists will go to great lengths - and heights - to save endangered animals. In Flight for Survival, Bill Kurtis follows on such New Explorer, Dr. James Geier, up an 80-foot tree to check on two eagle chicks nesting at the top. Today birds like these are being moved from their homes to areas where the bald eagle has died off. Thanks to these efforts, and the ban of the toxic insecticide DDT, the bald eagle is making a remarkable comeback in the United States and Canada. Come along for an exciting climb in majestic Lake of the Woods, Ontario. Discover why this stately bird is an American treasure.
Ordering information:
The New Explorers
Public Media Education
Attn: Customer Relations
5547 N. Ravenswood Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60640
1-800-343-4312, Ext. 359
Nesting
Nature Episodes
Some examples of various types of nests are shown as the bald eagle, Eastern bluebird, and the American robin nesting habits are compared. The important relationship between nesting sites, survival, and reproduction are explained.
Seminole Wind: The Egg-cellent Adventure
Florida Audubon Society
One hour video highlighing young eaglet's arrival at the Center for Birds of Prey as an egg; hatching; first-time parents, the growth of Seminole Wind and the actual return to a wild nest and a new eagle family.
Ordering Information:
Florida Audubon Society Video
460 Hwy 436. Suite 200
Casselberry, Florida 32707
1-800-874-2473
Proceeds benefit the Center for Birds of Prey.
