Whooping Crane Bald Eagle 吀栀e Remarkable Recovery Historically, more than 10,000 whooping cranes once populated DDT is a synthetic insecticide Canada and the United States. A combination of habitat highly toxic to a wide variety of of Wildlife Species in Our Region destruction, human disturbance, hunting, and egg and insects upon contact. During specimen collection in the 1800s contributed to drastic its use, DDT accumulated in population declines. In 1942, it was estimated that only 22 soils, and its e昀昀ects on various whooping cranes were left in North America. A breeding groups of wildlife increased as program and reintroduction e昀昀orts were desperately needed it went up the food chain. The to save this species. But, at that time, no one knew where these stable structure of DDT allowed cranes were nesting, only where their wintering grounds were. it to bio-accumulate in insects Almost a million square miles were searched before nesting and the animals that ate those cranes were located in a remote area of Canada. insects. Birds of prey such as Tracy Mathesius In 1967 the 昀椀rst captive breeding program began when biologists bald eagles were most severely collected 12 eggs from the wild in Canada. All were taken to a昀昀ected and serious declines in their populations were traced to Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland, where they were the e昀昀ects of DDT. The chemical interfered with the production of incubated and raised. Because breeding programs such as this their eggshells which became so thin that they often broke during were new at that time, scienti昀椀c research was needed on just incubation or failed to hatch. By 1963, only 417 nesting pairs of about every aspect of whooping crane biology. For over 50 years, bald eagles were known to exist. researchers at Patuxent nurtured young cranes and perfected In the 1960s DDT began to be restricted. In the 1970s DDT was techniques for breeding and rearing them. outright banned in many countries. In 1967, bald eagles were The current North o昀케cially listed as endangered in the U.S.; this opened the door American wild to captive breeding programs, reintroduction e昀昀orts and legal population is protection of nesting sites. Through these e昀昀orts, by 2007 an estimated to estimated 9,789 nesting pairs of bald eagles existed in the U.S. be roughly 700 which led to their removal from the USFWS threatened and birds. Most breeding endangered species list. Current population estimates are whooping cranes–536 316,700 individuals, including 71,467 breeding pairs. is the latest count–are Although the bald eagle is no longer listed as “Endangered”, it is part of the naturally still provided special protection under the “Bald and Golden Eagle Tom Johnson occurring 昀氀ock that Protection Act”. The Act provides criminal penalties for possessing, breeds in Canada and selling, or purchasing for any purposes, any bald or golden eagle, winters in Texas. There are also three reintroduced populations alive or dead, or any part of including feathers, claws, etc. This also that were started with the help of captive breeding programs. extends to their nests and eggs and provides them protection from The Eastern 昀氀ock spends the nesting season around Necedah any form of harassment or disturbance. Bald eagle sightings are National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin and migrates to Florida, now a common occurrence in McHenry County. Currently, there are with a current population estimate of 72 individuals. three active bald eagle nests within McHenry County boundaries, Whooping cranes often migrate with sandhill cranes. They have established respectively in 2018, 2020 and 2023. If this trend been spotted making overnight stops in District marshes with continues, and it should, we will see more active bald eagle nests in groups of sandhill cranes. If the Eastern population continues to McHenry County in the future. recover, nesting pairs may eventually 昀椀nd themselves in District marshes; however recovery of this species is slow. Whooping 4 Key U.S. Regulatory Changes that Drastically cranes will very likely continue to migrate through McHenry Changed the Trajectory of Declining Wildlife County, making periodic stopovers and giving residents the Populations: opportunity to observe these majestic birds in the wild. • The Migratory Bird Treaty Act in 1918, made it illegal to pursue, hunt, capture or kill or attempt to kill any migratory bird. This act alone has saved millions, Wild Turkeys if not billions of birds; it remains a law today. Habitat loss and overhunting • The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948 was the 昀椀rst law to eliminated wild turkeys from Illinois address water pollution. Amended in 1972, the law commonly known as the Clean Water Act by 1910. Beginning in 1918 the has not only saved aquatic species but has improved the lives of humans. Migratory Bird Treaty Act gave them • The 昀椀rst hunting license program was established in 1864, Ryan McDeeon protected status, but bringing them back took direct intervention. regulating hunting for the 昀椀rst time. Currently hunting and trapping regulations that protect To restore the once common game bird, IDNR obtained wild- many fur bearing mammals and avian game species are primarily regulated by state laws. trapped turkeys from Mississippi, Arkansas and West Virginia in • The Endangered Species Act was established in 1973 to protect and the 1960s and released them in small groups at 昀椀ve locations in aid in the recovery of declining populations of many southern Illinois. These initial populations successfully established animals and plants species at risk of extinction and self-sustaining breeding populations at each location. Enough to promote conservation of habitats necessary for o昀昀spring were produced that a trap-and-transfer program was the survival of those species. established to repopulate the rest of Illinois. Between 1970 and While these regional protections 2000, IDNR biologists relocated over 4,700 turkeys to 99 counties, have made a tremendous impact including McHenry County. on preserving wildlife, sometimes Wild turkeys now inhabit most areas of McHenry County. They direct, local intervention is necessary are a common nesting species on District sites and they are to rescue imperiled species. photo by Bob Williams once again a common game species in most of Illinois. 5