In November, someone near Junction City killed a bald eagle. Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife troopers have been investigating this issue since Nov. 30 when the eagle was found in the Cox Butte area.
The bald eagle is the only eagle unique to North America, with a range from central Alaska to Northern Mexico. Nesting spots in Oregon include the Columbia River below Portland, the Coast Range, the Oregon coast, the High Cascades, the Klamath Basin, and the upper Willamette River Basin. Breeding pairs in Oregon number in the few hundred.
Bald eagles may build several nests in the territory they’ve chosen to live, and will desert a nest if there are too many disturbances, which along with loss of habitat due to people developing lands, led to their becoming endangered in the past. Other factors included being shot, electrocution, impact injury, and lead poisoning.
While bald eagles are no longer an endangered species, they are protected by the Eagle Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Lacey Act. These acts make it illegal to harm bald or golden eagles or to possess any part of these eagles aside from specific instances.
The penalty for killing a bald or golden eagle can be thousands of dollars and jail time.
If you know anything about the death of this bird, contact the Oregon State Police at 1-800-452-7888, or by email at TIP@state.or.us – reference case number is SP21335107.
By Sally K Lehman
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