Iowa Bald Eagle Population Counts
Shown are data for Iowa’s bald eagle population as well as data for bald eagles on the Mississippi River at Lock and Dam 15. From the data you can see the population trends since 1994 and conduct population analysis. Pictures of the eagles at the lock and dam are provided also.
Location
Lock and Dam #15 on the Mississippi River between Davenport, Iowa and Rock Island, Illinois
Driving Question
- What is happening to the bald eagle population over time and why?
Probing Questions
- What do you think will happen to the bald eagle population in the future?
Classroom Suggestions
Students could:
- Use this data as part of an ecosystem survey.
- Construct their own graphs or use the graphs already provided.
- Determine the carrying capacity of the eagle population and compare the local data to the state data. They can then do research to determine the cause of the population changes.
Resources
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District | Eagle Count Archive: This has data about eagle counts all along the Mississippi River since 2003. You can get data by area of the river.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) | Bald Eagles: This is the national bird survey and has a great deal of information on the current status of the bald eagle in the United States.
- Concord Learning | Population Explosion: Online interactive examining cause and effect of population dynamics.
Iowa Core Alignment
HS-LS2-1:Use mathematical and/or computational representations to support explanations of factors that affect carrying capacity of ecosystems at different scales
Credit Info
Submitted by Laura McCreery
Iowa bald eagle population data count courtesy of the Iowa DNR: Stephanie Shepherd (2020), “Bald Eagle (Halieetus leucocephalus) status in Iowa”
Davenport bald eagle population data count courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District
Funding for Iowa Science Phenomena provided by:
