(Recorder of Georgia) The well-known tale that Benjamin Franklin wanted the wild turkey to be the national bird may be overblown, but it is true that the Founding Fathers sent a humorous letter to his daughter praising the wild gobbler’s qualities.
Because, in actuality, the turkey is a far more respectable bird and a genuine Native American. Although eagles can be seen in every country, Franklin stated in 1784 that Turkey was unique to ours.
Bob Sargent of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources believes that Americans should be thankful that the eagle ended up being on our currency, on the podiums of our legislators, and on the patches of our warriors this Independence Day.
According to Sargent, a department program manager, “I don’t think there’s much more majestic than the sight of a bald eagle soaring over a lake,” even though Ben Franklin would agree that wild turkeys are a magnificent bird. Therefore, I believe it to be a highly apt emblem. The size, beauty, wildness, fierceness, and rarity of the bird.
He went on to say that America is a resilient nation. Since the 1700s, when we were battling for our independence, we have made great strides. Additionally, the bald eagle has advanced significantly since its time as an endangered species.
As part of his employment, Sargent gets out of a helicopter and conducts a census of eagle nests around Georgia, making him one of the few people who regularly view eagles from above.
Because we cover so much of Georgia, it’s just kind of an amazing experience to see it from 400 to 600 feet above. He added that seeing a little bit of these birds’ private life is a gift and a lovely experience.
The southern portion of the state and the coast were the focus of this year’s survey, which discovered that the birds were nesting at slightly below average levels in the southern part of the state and at average levels on the coast. A total of 190 eaglets were fledged from 127 of the 176 active nests.
According to Sargent, the figures imply Georgia has maintained more than 200 nest territory annually for the previous ten years, taking into account locations that were not observed this year.
According to Sargent, a decrease in successful nesting in southern Georgia over the previous year could be due to either a delayed effect of avian influenza, which severely affected eagles along the coast in 2022, or storm damage from last year’s two hurricanes.
However, he stated that the eagle’s enormous achievement over the last fifty years should not be diminished by the dip.
Overall, the trend is quite positive. According to him, 25 years ago, there were only 55 nest territories in the entire state, and during the 1970s, there was only one successful nest recorded for the full ten years. Thus, we have made great progress. In Georgia, bald eagles are still uncommon. Although state law officially lists it as a threatened species, it is making progress. It’s really reassuring to know that since 2015, the state has seen at least 200 nest territories annually.
Along with the passage of the federal Clean Water and Clean Air acts, protection through the Endangered Species Act, greater public awareness, restoration of local populations through release programs, and forest regrowth, the state agency attributes the birds’ recovery in large part to a 1972 federal ban on the pesticide DDT, which severely weakens eagle eggshells.
Along with the passage of the federal Clean Water and Clean Air acts, protection through the Endangered Species Act, greater public awareness, restoration of local populations through release programs, and forest regrowth, the state agency attributes the birds’ recovery in large part to a 1972 federal ban on the pesticide DDT, which severely weakens eagle eggshells.
Eagle earmarks
However, Sargent stated that he is wary of the possibility that the government budget cuts would unintentionally undermine recovery efforts for eagles.
The State Wildlife Grants Program is an annual legislative allocation that provides funding for conservation initiatives for non-game animals, such as bald eagles.
People occasionally tell me, “Your funding should be fine because it’s coming from hunting licenses,” but Sargent clarified that this is untrue. We are worried about the State Wildlife Grants Program’s future. We’re keeping an eye on that. What will happen to that grants program is currently unknown.
Mike Worley, president of the Georgia Wildlife Federation, stated that his organization and others are urging Congressmen to continue providing states with that funds.
There isn’t much money in the entire country. It has been around $72 million. Over the past few years, Georgia has received roughly $1.6 million for our work. Additionally, it is really important for the work that is done here, whether it is on gopher tortoises or the bald eagle population, with which we have witnessed amazing recovery and success.
According to Worley, many lesser-known plants and animals also require assistance, even if charismatic creatures like eagles may receive a lot of attention.
It will be working on certain mussels that inhabit streams in North Georgia and some darters in northern Georgia streams. “We have well over 1,000 species that, when we look across the state, are in some degree of pretty significant concern,” he added, describing Georgia as one of the most biologically varied states in the nation. State and tribal wildlife grants are the funding source for that endeavor to recover the species, and the state wildlife action plan, which identifies all of those and develops a framework for safeguarding them, is therefore extremely important.
