A convocation of eagles

A convocation of eagles is not a feted occasion requiring black gowns and tasseled caps. Like a murder of crows or a gaggle of geese, a convocation is the unexpected collective noun for a group of eagles.

Eagles have inspired humans throughout history – and the world. The Ancient Romans used them as a symbol of Empire. Here in the United States, the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is our national bird.

photo: Shari Sommerfeld

Native American tribes, including Hood Canal’s Skokomish, venerate the Bald Eagle. Many tribes associate the eagle with the creator. Since this bird is the strongest flyer, it is believed to carry prayers to the heavens. Feathers and other parts of the bird (such as the talons) are important to many Native American ceremonies, such as smudging, powwows, and talking circles.

At the turn of the 18th century, the Bald Eagle population was estimated to be between 300,000–500,000. In the early 20th century however, the eagle was targeted for sport and because of their perceived predation upon livestock. Between 1918 and 1930 one ornithologist estimated that approximately 70,000 bald eagles had been shot in the state of Alaska. Additionally, nesting sites were disturbed by logging and other forms of development.

The Bald Eagle Protection Act was introduced in 1940 to protect nests, eggs, feathers, and to stop the slaughter of Bald Eagles. By the 1950s, however, there were reported to be only 412 nesting pairs left in the 48 conterminous United States.

Pushed to near extinction

Further, pressure was placed upon Bald Eagles populations (and many birds of prey species) by the pesticide Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). Since Bald Eagles are predators at the top of the food-chain, this chemical was concentrated in their prey and even the prey of their prey. This bioaccumulation disrupted the Bald Eagle’s metabolism of calcium, severely effecting fertility rates and inhibiting healthy egg production. Bald Eagles were declared endangered in 1962.

Known as kleptoparasites they will scavenge their meals off other birds, including other eagles, as demonstrated in this Matrix-like pose captured by photographer and Shelton native, Shari Sommerfeld.

Revival of a species

However, this is actually a happy story. In 2007, the Bald Eagle was federally delisted from the endangered species list. With the banning of DDT in the United States in 1972 (1989 in Canada), extensive breeding programs, and the enforcement of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act– the population soared. By 2005, in Washington State alone, it was estimated that there were over 840 breeding pairs. In 2009, the Bald Eagle population of the United States was estimated to be nearly 143,000 birds, this number is expected to stabilize at 228,000 birds in the next 5 to 15 years.

Speaking of resurgent populations, January to February is the mating season for Bald Eagles. Usually mating for life, male and females perform stunning aerobatic courtship displays with airborne talon clasping and free falls.

Eagle nests, known as aeries or “eyries,” are one of the largest nests at nearly 5-6 feet in diameter and 2-4 feet in height.

Along the Hood Canal, nests are in trees near water or open fields. Old cedar snags, giant spruces, or the larger coniferous trees are favorites. Both the male and female gather branches and twigs to weave into these monstrous nurseries.

The female will typically lay 1-3 eggs and both the male and female will take turns incubating the eggs for 34-36 days. After 10-12 weeks (approximately late summer), when the fledglings have left the nest, the mating pair and fledglings may travel to Northern British Columbia and Alaska to take advantage of the early salmon runs.

The immature eagles often stay northward for several months, whereas the parents return after a few weeks. Immature eagles do not have the white head and tail, they are a mottled brown in color. This “balding” occurs when they reach maturity, typically at 4 to 5 years. Many mature adults migrate to Washington to winter, returning North in January to mate.

A great place to spot the national bird is on or near waterways, especially where there is a waterfowl population, a salmon run, or another fishery run. If the herring run in March is good, scan the skies, waters, and trees near Brinnon in Dabob Bay. Scour the older snags near the flats at Hamma Hamma for eagles perched and surveying the area, as the local eagle population has a taste for young ducks which are known to brood here. Check your tide table, because eagle convocation is always best when the tide is out. Low tides attract fish and ducks to the shallows – an eagle buffet sandbar.

An unlikely hero

Although able to swoop and pluck a live fish from the ocean, Bald Eagles are often opportunistic in their search for food. Known as kleptoparasites they will scavenge their meals off other birds (including other eagles) or animals, driving the original hunter away from their prey or simply stealing the food out from under them. This is often why Bald Eagles are seen harassed by other birds of prey, crows and ravens who don’t take kindly to this noble thief. They also raid birds’ nests, which often results in them being harassed by songbirds including blackbirds, crows, and flycatchers.

Because of this, Benjamin Franklin was opposed to them becoming the nations emblem, he wrote in 1784:

For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country. He is a bird of bad moral character. He does not get his living honestly. You may have seen him perch’d on some dead tree near the river, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the labor of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent bird has at length taken a fish, and is bearing it to his nest for the support of his mate and young ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.

It is purported (most likely falsely) that Benjamin Franklin’s alternative choice was the Wild Turkey, and his arguments did not gain much ground.

Despite Franklin's reservations, Bald Eagles have continued to inspire in their natural resilience and majestic strength.

As John F. Kennedy wrote to the National Audubon Society (1961):

The founding fathers made an appropriate choice when they selected the bald eagle as the emblem of the nation. The fierce beauty & proud independence of this great bird aptly symbolizes the strength & freedom of America.

To learn more about birding locations on Hood Canal, visit olympicbirdtrail.org for a list of 25 top locations around the peninsula. Happy Birding!