National Save the Eagles Day Date in the current year: January 10, 2024

Eagle is the common name for large birds of prey that belong to the family Accipitridae, which also includes hawks, harriers, kites, and Old World vultures. Eagles belong to several genera, some of which are more closely related to each other than others; essentially, any bird of prey that is large enough to hunt medium-sized vertebrates (for example, raccoons, rabbits, ground squirrels, deer fawns) is usually called an eagle.

The eagles can be found in nearly all parts of the world. The two species of eagles found in North America are the golden eagle and the bald eagle. The latter even appears on the Great Seal of the United States as the country’s national bird. Besides, many Native American cultures consider the bald eagle a sacred bird.

Healthy adult eagles are considered apex predators, but it doesn’t mean that they don’t face any dangers. Like other wildlife, eagles can be affected by habitat loss, illegal shooting and capture, pollution, etc. Although the golden eagle is not considered a threatened species by the International Union of Conservation of Nature, and the bald eagle was removed from the list of endangered and threatened species in 2007, conservation efforts are needed to ensure that things stay this way.

Save the Eagles Day was originally launched in 2015 to save a specific pair of eagles, Al and Alice. They started nesting along Overpeck Creek in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey around 2011. In 2014, a local developer argued that a landfill near their nesting site was a health hazard and needed to be removed along with the tree that Alice and Al nested in.

Naturally, the community that had come to love the eagles disagreed with this solution and organized Save the Eagles Day on January 10, 2015 with the support from Bergen County Audubon Society, a non-profit dedicated to protecting birds in their natural habitat. Eventually the developer and the community reached an agreement to convert the area whee Al and Alice nested into an eagle park. Although they don’t nest there anymore, a new pair of eagles have taken their place.

Even though Save the Eagles was originally created to save Al and Alice, it has since spread across the nation and is now dedicated to all American eagles. Because of this it is often referred to as National Save the Eagles Day. On January 10, conservation organizations across the nation hold various events to raise awareness about eagles and the dangers they face.

You can observe Save the Eagles Day by learning more about eagles and sharing the facts you’ve learned with others, donating to or volunteering at a bird conservation organization, and spreading the word on social media with the hashtags #NationalSaveTheEaglesDay and #SaveTheEaglesDay to encourage others to get involved.