Bald Eagles are increasingly common in Kansas, but some are still dying because of human activity. Wildlife officials say there are around 200 eagle’s nests across the state, up from only a single nest found in 1989. Conservation measures, like the 1972 Federal Ban on DDT pesticides saved Bald Eagles from disappearing in the last century. Man-made reservoirs probably make Kansas more attractive to the birds, which hunt fish and waterfowl.
The eagles still face threats in the State, Michelle McNulty, a biologist for the USDA and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Manhattan, says lead poisoning from various sources, is probably the number one threat for eagles in Kansas. She says many times, the raptors are poisoned by lead buckshot in prey and carrion. Eagles also die from contact with power lines by flying into wind turbines.
