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Ben Wiebe
Dr. Johnson
Gipson First Year Seminar
More than an Exhibit
When I had to pick the exhibit to create my piece about, I could not make a choice as to
which artifact. There were some stunning geodes, incredible arrowheads, beautiful seashells,
gigantic mammals, and even a prehistoric beaver skull. Looking through all the fabulous pieces,
I almost gave up hope when I finally glimpsed the one piece that I knew I could connect with on
so many levels. Many people argue that museums are antiquated with the creation of the internet.
On the contrary, I find that witnessing the artifacts and exhibits in person provides a stronger
connection to the pieces than just looking at a picture. Seeing the eagle may not have been as
amazing as viewing one in the wild. However, this artifact is more than just a piece in a museum.
This bald eagle represents several equally important factions like being both an important
member of the food chain plus a majestic feat of biology, a part of a species nearly going extinct
and recovering from a devastating dive in its population, and a symbol of the United States of
America.
The Haliaeetus leucocephalus, the scientific name for the bald eagle, is a species that has
honed its biological functions over millions of years of evolution and natural selection. During
the Mesozoic era, roughly 144 million years ago, the first evolutionary bird emerged from the
reptile animal class (Bald Eagles’ Evolutionary Ancestors). After 36 million years, the aviary
class started to fragment into separate orders and families, with the eagles breaking off from the
kites, which are a bird of prey as well (Bald Eagles’ Evolutionary Ancestors). Although mainly
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recognized by the iconic white head, only adult bald eagles possess that trait. Juvenile bald
eagles have brown heads and do not show white feathers until the third year (Field Guide to the
Birds of North America). Bald eagles engage in an intricate act of courtship which culminates in
the apex when the male and female lock talons and plummet toward the earth until the last
possible second when they release their grip. Once courtship is complete, bald eagles will mate
for life, which usually is 38 years in the wild (Cornell). The bald eagle pair then settles down to
start making chicks. Breeding usually takes place in Canada and the southern half of Alaska,
while winter is spent in the continental United States to avoid the frigid Canadian temperatures
(Audubon).
The habitat of the bald eagle is the continental United States, Canada, and Mexico,
although the species is most commonly found in the south of Alaska (Field Guide to the Birds of
North America). Nests often are placed near the highest point of sturdy trees to ensure that the
nest maintains maximum sight lines while not collapsing the tree branches, causing the nest to
fall apart. If trees of proper structure and stability are not found, the bald eagles will use the side
of a mountain as a substitute. Nests are usually constructed with a complex weave of twigs,
grass, plus moss, and are commonly 5 to 6 feet in diameter with varying shape based on the
structural branches of the tree (Cornell). Nests are continually upgraded and used repeatedly, and
can sometimes be used for over 35 years (Ehrlich, Paul R. et al.). Bald eagles nest close to the
areas where they hunt, which is primarily near bodies of water since most of their prey lives near
there.
Bald eagles prey on a wide variety of different animals, such as small mammals, fish,
smaller birds, and reptiles. Sometimes the bald eagle will eat the leftovers of kills from other
animals. To find their food, bald eagles use their incredible sense of sight, which allows them to
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see its prey from over two miles away (Pearson). After the eagle sees its prey, it swoops into a
dive to try to catch the prey in its talons. Once the prey is secured by the eagle, the prey cannot
escape due to the bald eagle’s talon grip strength of 400 psi (Gripping Strength of an Eagle). On
certain occasions the bald eagle will not actively hunt for its food and will try a different
approach. Sometimes the bald eagle will wait for another bird of prey like an osprey catch a fish
or another animal, then chase down the osprey akin to a pirate raiding a merchant schooner.
Once the startled osprey drops the fish, the bald eagle proceeds to cease its chase and collect the
fish before returning to their nest (Hausman). These tactics and evolutionary features have been
honed over time to become a dominant physical specimen with the techniques to become hunting
masters.
While the bald eagle is a feat of nature modified after millions of years of evolution and
natural selection, the species was at risk of extinction from both direct human contact and
indirect actions taken by humans. The first reason that the bald eagle is threatened is because
when fishermen place nets to catch fish, bald eagles end up tangled in the lines. In addition,
humans sometimes shoot bald eagles. Shootings are often in defense of either pets, livestock, or
children (Woodford). Stories about how bald eagles pick up small children or pets and fly away
with them back to their nest perpetuate the shootings. However, adult bald eagles rarely attempt
to pick up children or larger pets. Only juveniles would attempt to pull this off, and the core
reason is to test their ability to pick up different weights (Woodford). In addition, to pick up a
larger object like a child or a dog, the bald eagle must have sufficient momentum to fly away
with the additional weight, which means slowing down and increasing speed again with more
weight is simply unfeasible. On top of all of that, most bald eagles cannot get off the ground
while carrying 8 pounds in their talons, effectively ruling out picking up any larger animal
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(Hausman). Despite the shootings and trappings, the most damaging actions taken by humans
have been the seemingly unrelated actions that have severe consequences with respect to a
similar biological mechanism.
The two indirect actions that caused the bald eagle population to go into a nosedive were
the use of lead ammunition and the pesticide DDT (Audubon). The use of lead ammunition while
hunting may not seem like a significant impact, until the lead leaks into the ecosystem. The
biggest impact of the lead leaking is into the fish in the rivers. The bald eagle then ingests the
lead contaminated fish, exposing the eagle to the lead and leading to death via lead poisoning
(Cornell). While this issue is still a problem in the modern era, the more drastic problem was the
wide spread use of DDT.
Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane was used as a pesticide to counter the rampant spread
of insect spread diseases, and was soon spread by farmers as a means of insecticide (DDT - A
Brief History and Status). DDT was so actively spread that commercials would be made where
the catchphrase at the end was “DDT is good for me”. Although DDT turned out to be a
supremely effective in the beginning, some of the insects survived and began to multiply. This in
turn began to reduce the ability for DDT to perform against the insects that were effectively
killed before (DDT - A Brief History and Status). An additional problem to the reduced
ineffectiveness over time was the fact that DDT was atrocious for the environment. When DDT
killed insects like mosquitos, the chemical would stay in the system of the insect until consumed
by fish. DDT would also leak into the water and directly contaminate the fish living in
waterways near the spray site (Bald Eagle Fact Sheet). Bald eagles would then consume the
exposed fish and ingest the deadly toxin. Once inside the body of the bald eagle, the DDT would
begin to interfere with the female’s ability to produce strong eggshells vital for the proper
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development of the young (Bald Eagle Fact Sheet). Thus, the eggs would either break under the
strain of the bald eagle parents, or merely fail to hatch. The combination of all factors ended up
whittling the number of nesting pairs down to 417 in 1963 (Bald Eagle Fact Sheet). With the
bald eagle on the verge of extinction, the people in the United States government decided that
they had to act quickly to save the face of the country.
While legislation had been attempted in the form of the Bald Eagle Protection Act in
1940, this was ineffective for the time of crisis as it only forbade the shooting, capture, or
possession of a bald eagle specimen (Bald Eagle Fact Sheet). The government composed a twopronged response to this rapidly devolving national crisis. The first step, and the most
controversial part of the two, was the complete ban of DDT by the Environmental Protection
Agency in 1972 (DDT - A Brief History and Status). Following the ban of DDT was the passing
of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, which declared the bald eagle an endangered species in
most of the continental United States and Alaska (Bald Eagle Fact Sheet). By taking this
aggressive multi-step approach the United States has seen a gradual recovery in the bald eagle
population. The most important reason the government acted so quickly to pass laws helping the
bald eagle was because the bald eagle is on the national seal, and having the bald eagle go extinct
would have been disastrous from a national standpoint. President Kennedy described this
scenario in a letter to the Audubon Society where he states “The Founding Fathers made an
appropriate choice when they selected the bald eagle as the emblem of the nation. The fierce
beauty and proud independence of this great bird aptly symbolizes the strength and freedom of
America. But as latter-day citizens we shall fail our trust if we permit the eagle to disappear”
(The American Bald Eagle). Because the bald eagle is such an important icon of the United
States, the government took significant steps to help increase population numbers and the crises
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were averted. Many people know that the bald eagle is the national bird as well as the main focal
point of the United States’ national seal, but very few people know how the eagle achieved that
status.
The history of using the bald eagle as the United States of America’s official bird and as
the centerpiece of the national seal has a long, winding, and contentious history. After the
Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, three of the prominent founding
fathers, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams, were selected to create a
prototype seal for the new nation (Eagle v. Turkey). However, each of the three had separate
ideas on what constituted a good national seal. They eventually compromised and came up with
the idea of a shield bearing woman symbolizing lady Liberty (Eagle v. Turkey). When the three
presented their idea of the seal to the Continental Congress, the idea got rejected. Unsure of what
to put into the national seal, the Continental Congress consulted an artist from Philadelphia
named William Barton. Barton then produced a new idea for the national seal using a golden
eagle (Eagle v. Turkey). Barton’s idea was met with a moderate amount of approval from the
Continental Congress, who praised the use of the eagle but disproved of the choice of bird. In the
place of the golden eagle, the bald eagle was proposed due to its exclusivity to North America;
the new seal with the substituted bald eagle was ratified on June 20, 1782 (Eagle v. Turkey).
However, not everybody was thrilled with the selection of the bald eagle. Benjamin
Franklin was unhappy with the selection and compared the bald eagle unfavorably to the turkey
in a letter to his daughter, writing “I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the
representative of our country; he is a bird of bad moral character; like those among men who live
by sharping and robbing, he is generally poor, and often very lousy. The turkey is a much more
respectable bird and withal a true, original native of America” (The American Bald Eagle).
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Franklin’s use of “sharping and robbing” comes from the hunting habit of the bald eagle where it
picks off other animals’ catches, which the turkey does not do. While Franklin focused on this
aspect of the bald eagle, the Continental Congress decided to focus on the other qualities and the
symbolism of the bald eagle, namely the values of strength, courage, and freedom (The
American Bald Eagle). While the eagle represents strength, courage, and freedom from a purely
political viewpoint, it has come to symbolize majesty and beauty in nature when soaring in the
skies. All of these pieces come together into one organism, painted by mankind into a powerful
image of beauty and beast.
Because of the biologic features of the bald eagle, the fight for survival as a species, and
the symbolism behind the bald eagle, the museum piece represents a fascinating part of the
world. Each artifact of a museum has its own significant part to play in the complex web of the
world, whether the artifact is a biological specimen, a woven tapestry depicting the life of the
past, or an object constructed for a specific purpose. Different artifacts can cause different people
to react in different ways. The reason is that people can “connect” with certain artifacts because
of the topic (like birds or Romans), the cultural impact of the artifact, or simply because the
artifact in question is appealing to the eye. What truly matters is that the exhibits intrigue people
to think further about the topic or significance in multiple aspects, in addition to causing them to
ask questions about their place in the world. When people begin to ask thought provoking
questions, research topics fascinating or unknown to them, or seek connections in the world. If
these are achieved, then the museum has succeeded in its job as a hub for creative thought and
expression for mankind.
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Works Cited:
“Bald Eagle.” Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University,
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/bald_eagle/lifehistory.
“Bald Eagle.” Guide to North American Birds, National Audubon Society, 1 Mar. 2016,
www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/bald-eagle.
“Bald Eagles’ Evolutionary Ancestors.” Nature, PBS, 29 Dec. 2010,
www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/american-eagle-bald-eagles-evolutionary-ancestors/4274/.
“Bald Eagle Fact Sheet.” Bald Eagle, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, June 2007,
www.fws.gov/midwest/eagle/recovery/biologue.html.
“DDT - A Brief History and Status.” United States Environmental Protection Agency, 22 Nov.
2016, www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/ddt-brief-history-and-status.
“Eagle vs. Turkey: America's First Bird Controversy.” Birds, National Wildlife Federation, 1
Nov. 2007, www.nwf.org/news-and-magazines/nationalwildlife/birds/archives/2007/americas-first-bird-controversy.aspx.
Ehrlich, Paul R. et al. Birds in Jeopardy: the Imperiled and Extinct Birds of the United States and
Canada Including Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Stanford, CA, Stanford University Press, 1992.
Field Guide to the Birds of North America. Washington, D.C., National Geographic, 1999.
“Gripping Strength of an Eagle.” HawkQuest - Learning Center: Teaching Aids, HawkQuest,
www.hawkquest.org/TA/XL/Gripping.pdf.
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Hausman, Leon Augustus. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Birds. New York, Halcyon
House, 1944.
Pearson, T. Gilbert, and Louis Agassiz Fuertes. Birds of America. Garden City, NY, Garden City
Pub. Co., 1936.
“The American Bald Eagle.” Celebrate America's Freedoms - Office of Public Affairs, U.S.
Department of Veteran Affairs,
www.va.gov/opa/publications/celebrate_americas_freedoms.asp.
Woodford, Riley. “Eagle Flight and Other Myths Eagles Don’t Eat Children or Pets.” Alaska
Fish &Amp; Wildlife News, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Jan. 2008,
www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildlifenews.view_article&articles_id=343.