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Recommended citation for this article:  Thomas, Robert A.  2022.  Bald eagles

(Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) in Louisiana:  A summary.  Occas. Pap. Loyola Ctr. Enviro. Comm. (4: ver. 1.2): 1-6.

BALD EAGLES (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) IN LOUISIANA: A SUMMARY.

Compiled by Robert A. Thomas, Loyola Center for Environmental Communication, Department of Strategic Communication, School of Communication & Design, Loyola University New Orleans, & Louisiana Master Naturalists of Greater New Orleans (rathomas@loyno.edu, 504- 865-2107)

QUALITY OF OUR INFORMATION:

There are many simple, ordinary questions that folks ask that have no definitive answers. The reason is that there are few data-based publications on bald eagles in Louisiana (see the literature cited below). For that reason, many of the comments below qualify by using words like “probably” and “we assume.” Please share any data-based information you find and I’ll fold it into this article. If I use anecdotal observations/thoughts, I will say so.

ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE:

Most arrive September-October, young fledge in April-May and leave soon thereafter. Adults leave a bit later.

PROTECTION:

Lacey Act of 1900 et seq. – Protected the bird and all its parts.

Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 – protects the bald eagle as well as all other migratory birds Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940 –

Endangered Species Protection act of 1966 - officially endangered Endangered Species Act of 1973 - endangered

Endangered to threatened in 1995. Delisted from threatened June 28, 2007

CURRENT & PAST POPULATIONS:

Early 1900s was considered a common resident bird throughout Louisiana (Bailey, 1919; Allen, 1936).

1960s – 3 nests in south Louisiana (White Kitchen, Paradis, Bayou Chene) (4 known in Louisiana) – probably others that were just not documented;

1976-77 in southcentral and southeast Louisiana – 27 known nests 1987 – 29 pairs (Harris et al., 987)

1996 census numbers:

• Terrebone – 69 active nests
• Assumption – 36
• St. Martin – 31
• St. Charles – 29
• St. Mary – 27
• Lafourche – 21
• St. John the Baptist – 19 2007 census - 337 pairs in Louisiana

Hurricanes Andrew (1992), Katrina (2005), Rita (2005) significantly damaged eagle habitats, but had no effect on nesting pairs.

417 nests in lower 48 (USFWS) in 1963; 10,000 nesting pairs in 2007 (USFWS); 11,040 pairs in 2008 (Center for Biological Diversity).

New report (?): 2900 nests in alluvial valleys of Louisiana(?)

NEST PRODUCTIVITY:

1.2 young per nest; average brood size 1.5 per nest.

WINTERING EAGLES

• Some winter but do not nest. Thought all these hang out around large lakes in north Louisiana (Toledo Bend, Caddo, others). Quite possible they have nests that have not been observed.
• Most, however, associated with nests when here.
• No information on any who winter (non-nesting) then go elsewhere to nest

HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS STAY YEAR-ROUND?

Nothing said is based on data. Not many. Thought by experts that those who stay are older birds who just can’t make the long journey to their original homes (two such birds at Kincaid).

WHERE DO LOUISIANA BALD EAGLES GO WHEN THEY LEAVE?

• Young leave the nest and head north even as far as the Northern Territories in Canada, but only stay a few weeks and head back to Louisiana (same for older adults)
• Adults leave later and head north
• Only hard data are from Dr. Alan Afton’s student’s (such as Nickolas R. Smith) satellite tagging studies (see paper in Literature Cited below)
• In general, we don’t know whence they come each winter

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT NESTING IN LOUISIANA?

• Most nest in south Louisiana, but there has not been much survey work in north Louisiana
• From info sheet from Michael Seymour

• 925 nests in south Louisiana (currently active nests?)
• 850 south of Alexandria
• 75 north of Alexandria
• 786 Greater New Orleans to St. Mary Parish

WHERE DO THEY BUILD NESTS?

Bald eagles generally choose trees with broken tops and an “enlarged uppermost whorl of branches that provide a platform for the nest structure” (Harris et al, 1987).

North Louisiana – large loblolly pines. Pine farmers like to brag about eagle use of pine trees, but they are NOT random – only using the tallest of loblolly trees. 3 in Kincaid, 1 Woodworth South Louisiana – large bald cypress

Now using man-made structures.

WHAT DO THEY EAT?

• Fish they snatch from the surface of lakes
• Small mammals, including nutria
• Birds - Cody Wayne Austell, U.S. Forest Service Wildlife Technician, at Oden Lake nest in 2017, witnessed a red-shouldered hawk near Woodworth, LA, that was diving on a nest containing two eaglets and a female. The female eagle launched as the male eagle returned, both flew in circles around the hawk retreated as it retreated and eventually the female eagle caught the hawk and fed it to her young.
• Turtles – Steve Shively, U. S. Forest Service, monitored a nest in Rapides Parish that was full of turtle shells, as well as many around the base of the tree (Shively & Brown, 2011).
• Apple snails – Michael Seymour, Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, tells about a nest in Lafourche Parish that was “full of apple snail shells.”

THE FUTURE?

Biggest threats:

• habitat changes due to coastal loss.
• Hurricanes in terms of long-term loss – short term is nest loss, which can quickly be rebuilt.
• They have a problem swooping down over highways presumably for food. At least a couple have died on I-10 over the LaBranche Wetlands.

Found dead at mile marker 26.1 on I-10, March 13, 2022.

–        Random deaths, unfortunately even occasionally being shot.

Found dead in woods just west of Madisonville, Louisiana, January 8, 2018.

NOTE: Louisiana Wildlife & Fisheries biologist no longer investigate dead eagles. If there seems to be evidence that they have been purposely killed, I’m sure they will investigate.

EXPERTS WITH PAPERS ON TOPIC (see also Literature Cited section below):

Tom Hess – 1990s

Nickolas Smith – LSU – telemetry of 20 eagles – LSU master’s thesis – 2014

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:

Many thanks to a selection of our excellent biologists who love bald eagles: Larry Allain, Robert Dobbs, Jennifer Coulson, Michael Seymour, Steve Shively,

LITERATURE:

Allen, L. E. 1936. Bald Eagles. Oologist 53: 47-48.

Bailey, A. M. 1919. The Bald Eagle in Louisiana. Wilson Bull. 31: 52-55.

Harris James O., Phillip J. Zwank, and Joseph A. Dugoni. 1987. Habitat selection and behavior of nesting bald eagles in Louisiana. J. Raptor res. 21(1): 27-31.

Jenkins, Jill A., Clinton W. Jeske, and Larry K. Allain. 2011. Photographic images captured while sampling for Bald Eagles near the Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion Structure in Barataria Bay, Louisiana (2009-10). U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 605, 19 pp.

Lowery, G. H., Jr. 1974. Louisiana birds. L.S.U. Press, Baton Rouge. 651 pp.

Shealy, P. M. and P. J. Zwank. 1981. Activity patterns and habitat use of a nesting pair of southern Bald Eagles in southern Louisiana, pp. 127-135. In: R. R. Odum and J. W. Guthrie (eds.). Proc. Non-game and Endangered Wildl. Symp., Georgia Dept. Nat. Resources, Game and Fish Div. Tech. Bull. WL 5.

Shively, Steve and Joshua Richard Brown. 2011. Sternothaerus carinatus (razor-backed musk Turtle) Predation. Herpetol. Rev. 42:423.

Smith, Nickolas Ryan. 2014. History, nesting population, migration, home range and habitats used by Louisiana Bald Eagles. LSU Master’s Thesis. 122 pp.

Smith, Nickolas R, Thomas J. Hess, Jr., and Alan D. Afton. 2016. History and nesting population of Bald Eagles in Louisiana. Southeaster Nat. 15(1): 12-25.

Smith, Nickolas R., Thomas J. Hess, Jr., and Alan D. Afton. 2017. Nest-site selection and success of Louisiana Bald Eagles. Southeastern Nat. 16(3): 343-361.

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2007. National Bald Eagle management guidelines. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C. 23 pp.

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2020. Final report: Bald Eagle population size: 2020 update.

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Bird Management, Washington,

D.C. U.S.A. 34 pp.

FOR MORE STORIES ON NATURE IN COASTAL LOUISIANA:

NATURE NOTES – A PERIODIC TREATISE ON NATURAL HISTORY TOPICS

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You may also subscribe (free) to our podcast, The Southern Naturalist (SoNat), which you can hear on many podcast sites, especially Apple Podcast and Spotify. It is hosted by Dr. Aimée

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Want to learn more about the natural history of southeast Louisiana. Visit the website of the Louisiana Master Naturalists of Greater New Orleans and consider registering for a fall or spring workshop series to become a Certified Louisiana Master Naturalist (https://louisianamasternaturalistsgno.org/). It is a gathering place for like-minded nature enthusiasts!

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