DECORAH – The first eagle hatched this year from the famous Decorah eagle nest was found dead this weekend. It was at the base of a power pole near the nest in Decorah.
From the Raptor Resource Project regarding a monitored Decorah eagle named D12:
“We are very sorry to announce that D12 is dead. D12 was found electrocuted at the base of a power pole on a Sunday morning. We notified the power company, who modified the top of that pole on Sunday and several other poles in the area on Monday. As of this morning, they are continuing to identify and modify poles to make them raptor safe.”
(PHOTO: “For those that have asked for a photo of D12, here is one from our Facebook album. We continue to remember how blessed we are with all the successes from the Decorah nest so far, and we will be thankful for all the future successes as well. This is the first known tragedy from the Decorah nest, and we thank all of you for your heartfelt thoughts on this loss.” (Picture from the Raptor Resource Project Facebook page))
“Power lines themselves are not an electrocution hazard for birds (birds can and do sit on wires), but unshielded poles can be dangerous.
Again, we are very sorry to announce the death of D12. This pole and others like it in the area have been modified to prevent future electrocutions.”
For more on this story, see a story in the Cedar Rapids Gazette.
