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THE EAGLES OF SQUAMISH

© Mary M. Alward

It is estimated that 10,000 eagles visit the arteries of the Squamish River between mid November and mid February. The largest known group of wintering raptors of Bald Eagles on Earth was counted at 3,796 in 1994.

Because of pollution, urban enroachment, poaching and decreased salmon stocks, eagles are hard pressed to find suitable habitat. The Squamish River system offers eagles the perfect nesting and feeding grounds. The combination of old tree growth for night roosting, cottonwoods for perching and gravel bars for catching salmon during the summer “run” attracts the birds to the area.

The bald eagle is the largest of the raptors, though it usually confines its hunt to fish. Native only to North America, the bald eagle has a distinctive white head, white tail and featherless ankles. It stands approximately one metre tall and its wings often span 2.4 metres.

Young bald eagles are different shades of brown. When the bird matures to four years, the white head and tail feathers, bright yellow eyes, beak and talon appears. These eagles live as far north as the edge of the Arctic Circle and as far south as North Carolina. A pair of nesting eagles often claims a territory as large as 4,200 hectares. Abundant food supplies mean a smaller territory.

The mainstay of the bald eagle’s diet is fish. They flock to British Columbia during the annual salmon run. If fish are unavailable, the bald eagle’s second choice is waterfowl, though if the need arises, they will eat other types of meat.

The eyesight of the bald eagle is four times sharper than that of a human. Despite this, eagles are scavengers and think nothing of stealing food from other species. They are also carrion eaters and often feed on dying salmon or road kill.

Of the 70,000 bald eagles found in North America, 20,000 live in British Columbia. They usually lay two eggs each season. The first hatchling often kills the second. If both survive for three weeks, a truce is called. The young eagles leave the nest when they are ten weeks old. Half die from starvation during their first winter alone. The oldest recorded bald eagle was twenty-eight years old.

In 1995, the Squamish Estuary Conservation Society and the Eagle Watch Interpreter Program organized volunteers to teach visitors to the Squamish River area about the wintering bald eagles. They answer questions, teach eagle viewing ethics as well as eagle biology and critical habitat requirements. The goal of the Eagle Watch Program is to educate visitors so they will not disturb the wintering bald eagles. In 1998, fifty

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