Bald eagle dies

The third bald eagle to hatch on Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands since DDT pesticide pollution wiped out the population in the mid-1900s was found dead in August. Biologists tracking the bird believe it was hit by a car. Eaglet “A-63” was born on the island off the coast of Santa Barbara in April and left in early August, flying to northern Nevada. A driver spotted the bird in the middle of a road on August 15, where the eaglet was likely scavenging for food. Because eaglets leave their parents’ territory before they start fishing, they typically scavenge during the first year of life. Only 50 percent of eagles survive their first year, with most deaths attributed to starvation and accidents, like getting hit by a vehicle or flying into a power line, according to an interview the Nature Conservancy conducted with Institute for Wildlife Studies biologist Peter Sharpe.