Eagles Set To Soar Off Vermont’s Endangered Species List

An eagle leaves the nest in Barnet. State biologists and volunteer monitors counted 52 breeding pairs in Vermont and surrounding areas last year, and those birds produced 64 chicks. (John Hall/Fish & Wildlife Department)

Bald eagles are soaring again in Vermont. The magnificent birds were pushed to the brink of extinction by hunting, habitat loss and pesticide poisoning.

For decades, no eagles nested in the Green Mountain State. Now, the birds of prey have recovered to the point where the state is ready to take them off the endangered species list.

State wildlife biologist Doug Morin has his spotting scope aimed at a large pine tree towering over a cemetery in Barnet, near the Connecticut River. This time of year, it’s a reliable spot for an eagle sighting. A bird obliges.

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