On February 4th at approximately 1:30 pm a group of people huddled under the grove of trees between Kohlberg Hall and Trotter Hall with their eyes pointed skywards. Perched atop the tallest tulip tree was an apparently mature Bald Eagle. The Bald Eagle, our national bird, is making a comeback in several spots in the U. S.; however, seeing one in many parts of the country is uncommon. Personally, I have seen the Bald Eagle soaring over Swarthmore or perched on the side of the road along the Blue Route near the Swarthmore exit.
Today, the Bald Eagle population is approximately 70,000 with about half of this population living in Alaska. Locally, fairly large numbers of eagles can be viewed at the Conowingo Dam in Maryland. However, eagles can be seen all over the Delaware Valley including places such as the Tyler Arboretum, Philadelphia Naval Yard and the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum.
Bald Eagle soaring over Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College. photo credit: S. Keitch
Bald Eagles were declared an endangered species in 1967 under a law that preceded the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The Bald Eagle was listed as endangered in 43 of the 48 lower states. In July 1995, the endangered status was upgraded to threatened. On June 28, 2007, the Bald Eagle was officially taken off the Endangered Species List. However, it is still protected by the Bald Eagle Protection Act.
A bird list of Swarthmore College and the Crum Woods can be accessed by referencing the Conservation and Stewardship Plan for the Crum Woods of Swarthmore College, 2003 in Appendix G: Bird Species in the Crum Woods.
For additional information one of the very best resources for bird related information is the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.