Posted by
NewMexiKen on
Dec 03, 2009; 5:18pm
URL: http://bald-eagles-of-broward-county-florida.17.s1.nabble.com/Palm-Harbor-FL-Two-females-one-male-bald-eagle-fight-over-mating-nest-tp4100297p4107362.html
To us, it seems tragic that this male eagle continues trying to incubate the eggs alone, apparently not eating or drinking, all the while fighting off the interloping female. For wild creatures, the survival instinct extends beyond the individual to its progeny. The male defends his genetic line, while the female would almost surely destroy the eggs immediately if she could overcome and woo him.
All too often we interpret the behavior of wild things in human terms. By definition, only humans can be "inhumane." In Wikipedia we find: "Humane in early use meant civil, courteous or obliging towards humans and animals. In modern times it is characterized by sympathy with or consideration, compassion and benevolence for others, especially for the suffering or distressed." Also, "Humans are innately inhumane; this explains much of the misery and suffering in the world."
Early naturalists often classified wild creatures as either "good" or "bad," usually in terms of how they affected human interests such as farming, ranching, hunting and fishing. Arguments for and against persecution of "bad" animals often relied upon the effect they had on other "good" and "bad" creatures. Thus, the "bad" hawk that took chickens may have been partially redeemed because it killed "bad" rodents. Forgotten is the inherent complex and violent struggle within the Web of Life.
When the Bald Eagle was selected as our National Symbol, the founding fathers overlooked some of its "bad" traits, and mostly considered its appearance. Catherine Raven, in
Beauty is Only Feather Deep asks, "Was the bald eagle really the best choice of national symbol? A closer look at the habits and evolutionary lineage of this American icon casts doubt."
Raven describes a group of tourists in Yellowstone National Park as they admired the flight of a Bald Eagle high overhead, being pursued by a raven.
A protracted fight ensued during which time the relatively small raven demonstrated agility, tenacity, and bravery (a judgment that any bird expert would confirm as unbiased, my surname notwithstanding). The bald eagle demonstrated the better part of valor and fled.She celebrates the raven's victory, and muses:
[H]ad I shown up 200 years earlier, when the only people in the valley were Indians. In those days, a person could choose to raise a hand to honor either the raven's skillfulness or the bald eagle's beauty. But the most revered bird in this area would likely have been the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). Countless natives probably rode through this valley with golden eagles painted on their horses. Today,tourists ride through with bald eagles painted on their motorcycles.Raven quotes Arthur Cleveland Bent, from his 1937 classic,
Life Histories of North American Birds of Prey:
"A fine-looking bird," Bent writes of the bald eagle, but "hardly worthy of the distinction [of being the national emblem]. Its carrion-feeding habit, its timid and cowardly behavior, and its predatory attacks on the smaller and weaker osprey hardly inspire respect." Bent's baldies-behaving-badly exposé also reveals that our nation's icon relishes vulture vomit. It's not that they find the vomit lying around; rather, they seek out vultures and force them to vomit. Then they eat the regurgitate. "Our national bird may still be admired," Bent suggests, "by those who are not familiar with its habits."
Raven continues:
The transfer of allegiances [away from the Golden Eagle and the Wild Turkey] began with Thomas Jefferson, who appointed the bald eagle to serve as the national emblem for the new American nation. It was a classic example of the outdated practice of physiognomy. Now considered a pseudoscience and an excuse for racism, advocates of physiognomy held that a person or animal's true nature was revealed by its outward appearance. Because of its white head and yellow eyes, physiognomists concluded that the bald eagle was fierce and noble. To his credit, Benjamin Franklin, the scientist, rejected this false logic, recognizing that the baldie was, in fact, a pirate and worse still, a "rank coward, commonly fleeing birds the size of sparrows." Franklin suggested that the turkey, a bird of many virtues, be used for the emblem instead. But Franklin's arguments didn't prevail: It seems our young nation was more concerned with symbolism than natural history, and the turkey had less charisma than the eagle.
Follow this link to Catherine Raven's full essay, in which she explains how its fine appearance saved the Bald Eagle from extinction in the lower 48 states. The page includes a fanciful rendition of the Great Seal of the United States, as it would look if the Wild Turkey had won out over the Bald Eagle.
In Life Histories, Bent extols the Golden Eagle's beauty:
This magnificent eagle has long been named the King of Birds, and it well deserves the title. It is majestic in flight, regal in appearance, dignified in manner, and crowned with a shower of golden hackles about its royal head. When falconry flourished in Europe the golden eagle was flown only by kings. Its hunting is like that of the noble falcons, clean, spirited, and dashing. It is a far nobler bird in every way than the bald eagle and might well have been chosen as our national emblem. But then the golden eagle is not a strictly American bird, as the bald eagle is.
We don't think twice when a robin pulls up a worm, or an Osprey catches a fish, but the predator-prey relationship can stir up strong emotions, from pity for the victim, to anger and even hate for the aggressor. The following video is not for the faint-hearted, or to those who find it hard to accept violence, so be forewarned.
A Golden Eagle displays remarkable hunting strategy, preying on mountain goats much larger than itself by throwing them off the cliff face. Remarkably, the goats aggressively defend their kids.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ4HCwKXuVM