Who Killed 13 Bald Eagles? Reward Soars to $30K

FEDERALSBURG, MD — The reward fund for tips that lead to the arrest of the culprit in the deaths of 13 bald eagles on Maryland’s Eastern Shore – the state’s largest die-off of the protected birds in 30 years -- has increased to $30,000.

Maryland Natural Resources Police said earlier this month that humans are the likely cause of death in the case. There was no visible sign of wounds to the birds, so a necropsy was done at a federal lab in Oregon to help determine what killed the eagles.

Tests showed the raptors did not die of natural causes, including disease, said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The birds were found Feb. 20 on a farm and in woods in Federalsburg in Caroline County.

On Tuesday, the American Bird Conservancy announced that it is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in the case. The money will be added to contributions by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and four other charities.

“It is deeply disturbing that 13 of these revered birds appear to have been killed, either deliberately or through reckless negligence,” said Darin Schroeder, ABC's vice president of government affairs. “Either way, we at American Bird Conservancy will do everything we can to help the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service track down those responsible and bring them to justice.”

»See Also: Someone is Killing Bald Eagles Around America's Capital

Four more bald eagles were found dead in Delaware over the weekend. In that case, the cause has not been determined.

After first finding one dead bald eagle in the Dagsboro area, Delaware authorities say they found three more disoriented bald eagles in a farm field not far away. They died later. Two other eagles are being treated.

In announcing the investigation, Delaware officials noted that other bald eagles were seen fleeing the area and were noticeably disoriented.

Federal investigators are now focused on human causes and bringing to justice whoever is responsible for the death of the Maryland eagles. “We cannot release further details about the cause of death as such information may compromise the ongoing investigation,” the federal agency said in its statement.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents are working with the Maryland Natural Resources Police to solve the case. The reward is available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of suspected wildlife offenders.

Three adult eagles, two adolescents and eight young eagles were found deceased at the site. No other bird or animal carcasses were found nearby.

In August 2007, the bald eagle was removed from the federal endangered species list, says the Maryland DNR, and in April 2010, it was removed from Maryland’s list of threatened and endangered species. But federal law still prohibits hunting or possessing bald eagles, either alive or dead, punishable by a $5,000 fine and a year in prison.

Anyone with information is asked to call Special Agent John LaCorte with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Cambridge at 410-228-2476, or the Maryland Natural Resources Police Hotline at 800-628-9944.

»Photo of dead bald eagle courtesy of Maryland Department of Natural Resources