Return of the Bald Eagle and Peregrine Falcon to Massachusetts

Have you seen a bald eagle lately? It’s not as unusual as it once was.

On Wednesday, April 15th at 7:30pm, come hear Andrew Vitz, State Ornithologist with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, talk about the state of bald eagles in Massachusetts. The lecture is free and open to the public. It will be held in the Ransome Room of Concord Academy.

Historically the Bald Eagle nested throughout Massachusetts, but due to habitat loss and degradation and human persecution, they were extirpated as a breeding bird in the early 1900s. To recover the species, Bald Eagles were reintroduced to the Quabbin Reservoir in 1982. The program was very successful and eagles have steadily increased in numbers and expanded their range across the Commonwealth. A similar program was initiated in Boston for Peregrine Falcons, and like eagles, these birds are doing exceedingly well in Massachusetts.

Andrew Vitz received a B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Ohio State University where he studied the effects of forest management on migratory songbirds.

This lecture is presented by the Concord Environmental Consortium - a cooperative venture of Concord’s three high schools - CCHS, Concord Academy, and Middlesex School. The Consortium is sponsored by the Concord Land Conservation Trust.