The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

ISSN 2307-8235 (online)

IUCN 2008: T22695144A93492523
Scope: Global
Language: English

Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Bald Eagle

Assessment by: BirdLife International

View on www.iucnredlist.org

Citation: BirdLife International. 2016. Haliaeetus leucocephalus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species 2016: e.T22695144A93492523. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-
3.RLTS.T22695144A93492523.en

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THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES

Taxonomy
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family

Animalia Chordata Aves Accipitriformes Accipitridae

Taxon Name:Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linnaeus, 1766)

Common Name(s):
English: Bald Eagle
Taxonomic Source(s):
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife
International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International,
Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

Assessment Information
Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Published: 2016

Date Assessed: October 1, 2016

Justification:
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable
under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or
fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or
severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not
approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten
years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the
thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a
continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified
population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Previously Published Red List Assessments

2012 Least Concern (LC) http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T22695144A40334702.en

2009 Least Concern (LC)

2008 Least Concern (LC)

2004 Least Concern (LC)

2000 Lower Risk/least concern (LR/lc)

1994 Lower Risk/least concern (LR/lc)

1988 Lower Risk/least concern (LR/lc)

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Haliaeetus leucocephalus published in 2016. 1
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Geographic Range
Range Description:
This species breeds in Canada, USA, Mexico, and the French island territories of Saint Pierre and
Miquelon. It is considered a vagrant in Belize, Bermuda, Ireland, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.

Country Occurrence:
Native: Canada; Mexico; Saint Pierre and Miquelon; United States

Vagrant: Belize; Bermuda; Ireland; Puerto Rico; Russian Federation; Virgin Islands, U.S.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Haliaeetus leucocephalus published in 2016. 2
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Distribution Map
Haliaeetus leucocephalus

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Haliaeetus leucocephalus published in 2016. 3
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Population
(Rich et al. 2004)

Trend Justification
This species has undergone a large and statistically significant increase over the last 40 years in North
America (779% increase over 40 years, equating to a 72.2% increase per decade; data from Breeding
Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven 2007).
Current Population Trend:Increasing

Habitat and Ecology (see Appendix for additional information)

Systems:Terrestrial, Freshwater, Marine

Threats
Past declines have been attributed to intense hunting, unintentional poisonings (notably use of DDT and
lead shot), and habitat destruction in combination with the loss of great herds of bison, a seasonally
important food source.

Credits
Assessor(s): BirdLife International

Reviewer(s): Butchart, S. & Symes, A.

Facilitators(s) and Stattersfield, A.

Compiler(s):

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Haliaeetus leucocephalus published in 2016. 4
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Bibliography
Blood, D. A.; Anweiler, G. G. 1994. Status of the bald eagle in British Columbia. Wildlife Branch, Ministry
of Environment, Lands & Parks, British Columbia.

del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. 1994. Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 2: New World Vultures
to Guineafowl. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.

Ferguson-Lees, J. and Christie, D.A. 2001. Raptors of the world. Christopher Helm, London.

IUCN. 2016. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2016-3. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org.
(Accessed: 07 December 2016).

Kirk, D. A.; Hussell, D.; Dunn, E. 1995. Raptor population status and trends in Canada. Bird Trends 4: 2-9.

Rich, T.D.; Beardmore, C.J.; Berlanga, H.; Blancher, P.J.; Bradstreet, M.S.W.; Butcher, G.S.; Demarest, D.W.;
Dunn, E.H.; Hunter, W.C.; Inigo-Elias, E.E.; Martell, A.M.; Panjabi, A.O.; Pashley, D.N.; Rosenberg, K.V.;
Rustay, C.M.; Wendt, J.S.; Will, T.C. 2004. Partners in flight: North American landbird conservation plan.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY.

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1999. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants: proposed rule to
remove the bald eagle in the lower 48 states from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife.
Federal Register 64(128): 36454-36464.

Citation
BirdLife International. 2016. Haliaeetus leucocephalus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016:
e.T22695144A93492523. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22695144A93492523.en

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To make use of this information, please check the Terms of Use.

External Resources
For Images and External Links to Additional Information, please see the Red List website.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Haliaeetus leucocephalus published in 2016. 5
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 Appendix

Habitats
(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)

Major
Habitat Season Suitability
Importance?

1. Forest -> 1.1. Forest - Boreal Breeding Suitable No

1. Forest -> 1.4. Forest - Temperate Breeding Suitable No

1. Forest -> 1.4. Forest - Temperate Non- Suitable No

breeding

1. Forest -> 1.7. Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Mangrove Vegetation Above Breeding Suitable No
High Tide Level

1. Forest -> 1.7. Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Mangrove Vegetation Above Non- Suitable No
High Tide Level breeding

3. Shrubland -> 3.4. Shrubland - Temperate Non- Suitable No

breeding

4. Grassland -> 4.4. Grassland - Temperate Non- Suitable No

breeding

5. Wetlands (inland) -> 5.1. Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Breeding Suitable Yes
Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls)

5. Wetlands (inland) -> 5.1. Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Non- Suitable Yes
Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) breeding

5. Wetlands (inland) -> 5.5. Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Breeding Suitable No
Lakes (over 8ha)

5. Wetlands (inland) -> 5.5. Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Non- Suitable No
Lakes (over 8ha) breeding

9. Marine Neritic -> 9.10. Marine Neritic - Estuaries Breeding Suitable No

9. Marine Neritic -> 9.10. Marine Neritic - Estuaries Non- Suitable No

breeding

12. Marine Intertidal -> 12.1. Marine Intertidal - Rocky Shoreline Breeding Suitable No

12. Marine Intertidal -> 12.1. Marine Intertidal - Rocky Shoreline Non- Suitable No
breeding

12. Marine Intertidal -> 12.2. Marine Intertidal - Sandy Shoreline and/or Breeding Suitable No
Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc

12. Marine Intertidal -> 12.2. Marine Intertidal - Sandy Shoreline and/or Non- Suitable No
Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc breeding

12. Marine Intertidal -> 12.3. Marine Intertidal - Shingle and/or Pebble Breeding Suitable No
Shoreline and/or Beaches

12. Marine Intertidal -> 12.3. Marine Intertidal - Shingle and/or Pebble Non- Suitable No
Shoreline and/or Beaches breeding

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Haliaeetus leucocephalus published in 2016. 6
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 Major
Habitat Season Suitability
Importance?

12. Marine Intertidal -> 12.6. Marine Intertidal - Tidepools Breeding Suitable No

12. Marine Intertidal -> 12.6. Marine Intertidal - Tidepools Non- Suitable No
breeding

15. Artificial/Aquatic & Marine -> 15.1. Artificial/Aquatic - Water Storage Breeding Suitable No
Areas (over 8ha)

15. Artificial/Aquatic & Marine -> 15.1. Artificial/Aquatic - Water Storage Non- Suitable No
Areas (over 8ha) breeding

Conservation Actions in Place

(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)

Conservation Actions in Place

In-Place Research, Monitoring and Planning

Action Recovery plan: No

Systematic monitoring scheme: Yes

In-Place Land/Water Protection and Management

Conservation sites identified: Yes, over entire range

Occur in at least one PA: Yes

Invasive species control or prevention: No

In-Place Species Management

Successfully reintroduced or introduced beningly: No

Subject to ex-situ conservation: No

In-Place Education

Subject to recent education and awareness programmes: No

Included in international legislation: Yes

Subject to any international management/trade controls: Yes

Additional Data Fields

Distribution
Continuing decline in area of occupancy (AOO): Unknown

Extreme fluctuations in area of occupancy (AOO): No

Estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) (km): 23300000

Continuing decline in extent of occurrence (EOO): Unknown

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Haliaeetus leucocephalus published in 2016. 7
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 Distribution
Extreme fluctuations in extent of occurrence (EOO): No

Continuing decline in number of locations: Unknown

Extreme fluctuations in the number of locations: No

Upper elevation limit (m): 2000

Population
Continuing decline of mature individuals: Unknown

Extreme fluctuations: No

Population severely fragmented: No

Continuing decline in subpopulations: Unknown

Extreme fluctuations in subpopulations: No

All individuals in one subpopulation: No

Habitats and Ecology

Continuing decline in area, extent and/or quality of habitat: Unknown

Generation Length (years): 17.2

Movement patterns: Full Migrant

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Haliaeetus leucocephalus published in 2016. 8
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The IUCN Red List Partnership

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is produced and managed by the IUCN Global Species
Programme, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and The IUCN Red List Partnership.

The IUCN Red List Partners are: Arizona State University; BirdLife International; Botanic Gardens
Conservation International; Conservation International; NatureServe; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew;
Sapienza University of Rome; Texas A&M University; and Zoological Society of London.

THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES