Killer of 13 Bald Eagles Not Found, Case Closed

UPDATED at 3:45 p.m.: FEDERALSBURG, MD — Despite a $30,000 reward fund for tips that lead to the arrest of whoever poisoned 13 bald eagles on Maryland’s Eastern Shore – the state’s largest die-off of the protected birds in 30 years — no suspect has been found, and the investigation has ended, authorities say.

Maryland Natural Resources Police said in March that humans are the likely cause of the eagle deaths. 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 bodies of the birds, a national symbol, were found Feb. 20 on a farm and in woods in Federalsburg in Caroline County. Bald eagles are federally protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Maximum fines for violations of those two acts are $100,000 and $15,000 respectively, and up to a year's imprisonment, says an advocacy group.

"Although we conducted a very thorough investigation into the Maryland eagle poisonings, we are intending to close the case in the near future due to a lack of evidence linking anyone to the crime," Neil Mendelsohn of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in a statement.

The agency also confirmed for the first time that the eagles were poisoned by someone.

Four more bald eagles were found dead in Delaware in March, soon after the Maryland eagles were found. 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 were treated.
That case is still under investigation.

Authorities appreciate the high level of concern and response from the public regarding the investigations into the eagle deaths in Federalsburg, and Sussex County, Delaware, Mendelsohn said. The Delaware investigation continues, so authorities declined further comment.

The American Bird Conservancy offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in the case. The money was 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

Federal investigators focused on human causes and bringing to justice whoever is responsible for the death of the Maryland eagles. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents worked with the Maryland Natural Resources Police on 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 Maryland 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