Science, sentiment, and the specter of extinction - Reconsidering birds of prey during America's interwar years

In 1940-AS American participation in World War II loomed on the horizon-the Bald Eagle Protection Act became law. This step came more than a century and a half after the Continental Congress had chosen the bald eagle as the centerpiece for the first official seal of the United States. As the only eagle with a range restricted to North America, the species soon became known as the American eagle and widely adopted as an emblem of the young nation's freedom, power, and sovereignty. Yet, despite the nationalistic symbolism associated with this quintessential example of charismatic megafauna, the move to grant federal protection to the bald eagle was long in coming and remained controversial even when it finally passed. Although the ominous clouds of military conflict clearly played an important role in rallying support for bald eagle protection, it would be a mistake to view its success simply as a manifestation of war-fueled patriotism. The act, which countered a tradition of treating the eagle and other birds of prey as pariahs, was actually the culmination of a long campaign. For two decades preceding the act's passage, a network of bird enthusiasts had struggled to repair the tarnished reputation of predatory birds, to fight bounty laws aimed at reducing their numbers, and to secure legislation to protect them from continued harassment at the hands of farmers, ranchers, sportsmen, and others who considered them "vermin," fit only for systematic obliteration from the landscape. Although the Bald Eagle Protection Act fell short of achieving its supporters' ambitious aims, it nonetheless stands as a landmark piece of federal wildlife legislation that has yet to gain the historical attention it deserves.