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Smithsonian National Zoo in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
 

A Capital Bird

 
 
A Capital Bird Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), December 17, 2017
1. A Capital Bird Marker
Inscription.
Seeing bald eagles in the Washington DC area used to be impossible; the last wild birds were spotted in the 1940s. But after decades of species protection, a nest was found in 2001. Today keep you eyes eagle-sharp as you stroll along the region's waterways. You might spot a white-headed bird perched in a nest high in a tree.

Fragile Beauty
Valued today as a symbol of conservation, bald eagles were not always so treated.

• In the early 1900s the abundant birds were seen as pests.
• Hunters were paid a bounty for dead birds.
• Pesticides, especially DDT, weakened eggshells; nesting birds broke the eggs.

By the mid 1900s, things started to turn around. Hunting became illegal and then DDT was banned. Today bald eagles are found throughout North America.
 
Erected by Smithsonian Institution.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: AnimalsEnvironment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1900.
 
Location. 38° 55.784′ N, 77° 2.968′ W. Marker is in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in Smithsonian National Zoo. Marker can be reached from Connecticut Avenue Northwest south of Cathedral Avenue Northwest, on the right when traveling north.
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On the grounds of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3001 Connecticut Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20008, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Bald Eagle (here, next to this marker); A Trail Transformed (within shouting distance of this marker); Pelicans in Peril (within shouting distance of this marker); Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Rebuilding in the Wild (about 400 feet away); The O-Line (about 500 feet away); Aldabra Tortoise (about 500 feet away); The Nut Seekers (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Northwest Washington.
 
A Capital Bird Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), December 17, 2017
2. A Capital Bird Marker
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 17, 2017, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 150 times since then and 3 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on December 17, 2017, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 19, 2024