Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	FALCONIFORMES	ACCIPITRIDAE

Scientific Name:

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Species Authority:

(Linnaeus, 1766)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Bald Eagle

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Published:

2012

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Butchart, S. & Symes, A.

Contributor/s:

Justification:
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

History:

2009	–	Least Concern
2008	–	Least Concern
2004	–	Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species breeds in Canada, USA, Mexico, and the French island territories of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. It is considered a vagrant in Belize, Bermuda, Ireland, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.
Countries:	Native: Canada; Mexico; Saint Pierre and Miquelon; United States Vagrant: Belize; Bermuda; Ireland; Puerto Rico; Russian Federation; Virgin Islands, U.S.
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	(Rich et al. 2004)
Population Trend:	Increasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Past declines have been attributed to intense hunting, unintentional poisonings (notably use of DDT and lead shot), and habitat destruction in combination with the loss of great herds of bison, a seasonally important food source.

Major Threat(s):

Past declines have been attributed to intense hunting, unintentional poisonings (notably use of DDT and lead shot), and habitat destruction in combination with the loss of great herds of bison, a seasonally important food source.

Bibliography [top]

	Blood, D. A.; Anweiler, G. G. 1994. Status of the bald eagle in British Columbia. Wildlife Branch, Ministry of Environment, Lands & Parks, British Columbia. del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. 1994. Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 2: New World Vultures to Guineafowl. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Ferguson-Lees, J.; Christie, D. A. 2001. Raptors of the world. Christopher Helm, London. IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2012.1). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 19 June 2012). Kirk, D. A.; Hussell, D.; Dunn, E. 1995. Raptor population status and trends in Canada. Bird Trends 4: 2-9. Rich, T.D.; Beardmore, C.J.; Berlanga, H.; Blancher, P.J.; Bradstreet, M.S.W.; Butcher, G.S.; Demarest, D.W.; Dunn, E.H.; Hunter, W.C.; Inigo-Elias, E.E.; Martell, A.M.; Panjabi, A.O.; Pashley, D.N.; Rosenberg, K.V.; Rustay, C.M.; Wendt, J.S.; Will, T.C. 2004. Partners in flight: North American landbird conservation plan. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1999. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants: proposed rule to remove the bald eagle in the lower 48 states from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife. Federal Register 64(128): 36454-36464.

Blood, D. A.; Anweiler, G. G. 1994. Status of the bald eagle in British Columbia. Wildlife Branch, Ministry of Environment, Lands & Parks, British Columbia.

del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. 1994. Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 2: New World Vultures to Guineafowl. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.

Ferguson-Lees, J.; Christie, D. A. 2001. Raptors of the world. Christopher Helm, London.

IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2012.1). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 19 June 2012).

Kirk, D. A.; Hussell, D.; Dunn, E. 1995. Raptor population status and trends in Canada. Bird Trends 4: 2-9.

Rich, T.D.; Beardmore, C.J.; Berlanga, H.; Blancher, P.J.; Bradstreet, M.S.W.; Butcher, G.S.; Demarest, D.W.; Dunn, E.H.; Hunter, W.C.; Inigo-Elias, E.E.; Martell, A.M.; Panjabi, A.O.; Pashley, D.N.; Rosenberg, K.V.; Rustay, C.M.; Wendt, J.S.; Will, T.C. 2004. Partners in flight: North American landbird conservation plan. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY.

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1999. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants: proposed rule to remove the bald eagle in the lower 48 states from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife. Federal Register 64(128): 36454-36464.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2012. Haliaeetus leucocephalus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 19 June 2013.
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