Eagles Vs. Trains

Natural History, Sept, 2001 by Heather Van Doren

Thanks to cleaner air and water, ample food supplies, reclaimed habitats, and release/monitoring programs, the U.S. bald eagle population has soared since the bird was listed as a national endangered species a quarter century ago. In New York State alone--where an aggressive restoration program operates--the number of fledged young rose from fifteen in 1990 to seventy-one in 2000.

Many of the birds, which feed mainly on fish, winter or nest in the tower Hudson River valley. But this habitat has its perils, including passenger trains traveling at up to 125 miles an hour on the New York City-Montreal line. The high-speed trains make little noise and move faster than anything an eagle would encounter in its natural environment.

Ward B. Stone, of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and colleagues examined ten eagles struck and killed by high-speed trains between 1986 and 2000. Most of these collisions occurred on the rail line between New York City and Albany, and nine of the ten eagles killed were immatures. Less wary and agile than adults, young eagles are more likely to scavenge and thus to be attracted to the ample supply of dead animals on the tracks.

Some observers have suggested that carrion on train tracks actually aids overall eagle survival by providing fledglings with a ready food supply. But Stone and colleagues conclude that, with several new nesting territories nearby, the trains' net effect on the eagle population "is most likely to be decidedly negative." ("Bald Eagles Killed by Trains in New York State," Short Communications 35:1, 2001)