Two Beautiful Birds Join our Forests Flock

May 24, 2021

BALD EAGLE LINCOLN AND GOLDEN EAGLE STEWART ARE NOW ON EXHIBIT

There are two newcomers to our flock of Forests birds! Bald eagle Lincoln and golden eagle Stewart arrived recently from the Great Plains Zoo and are now on exhibit together.

These majestic males were both rescued and rehabilitated from wing injuries that made them unlikely to survive if they were released back into the wild.

They will act as ambassadors for other wild members of their species, including the nesting pairs of bald eagles that make their home along the White River next to the Zoo.

Around 60 species of eagles patrol the skies across our planet, but unique among them, the bald eagle is native only to the United States. While golden eagles are also native to North America, their range also extends into Europe and Asia.

The national bird of the U.S., the bald eagle gets its name from the stark white head and tail that helps distinguish it from other species of eagles. Yet juvenile bald eagles are often mistaken for golden eagles as the birds are similar in size and both species sport long brown feathers, that is until bald eagles grow in their namesake plumage around 4-5 years old.

Once on the brink of extinction, the bald eagle is one of our country’s great conservation success stories. In 1963, there were only 417 known nesting pairs remained in the lower 48 states. But the population rebounded thanks to protections from the Endangered Species Act as well as conservation efforts from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies. By 2007, this beautiful bird was removed from the endangered list and scientists now estimate more than 300,000 now soar through our skies.