KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— The Center for Biological Diversity today increased the reward to $10,000 for information leading to a conviction for the illegal shooting of a bald eagle in eastern Tennessee.

A bald eagle was shot near Watts Bar Lake in the Blue Springs Marina area of Kingston, Tennessee. After a fisherman found the wounded eagle and contacted the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the bird was transported to the Memphis Zoo for treatment, and agency officials report that the eagle is recovering. A bullet has been retrieved and sent to a laboratory for ballistic testing.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect, and the Center is adding to the amount by $7,500 for a total reward of $10,000.

“The senseless and illegal shooting of this majestic bird is outrageous, and we want the perpetrator brought to justice,” said Will Harlan, a senior scientist at the Center. “This cowardly act against America’s national bird can’t go unpunished. We hope someone steps forward with information.”

Bald eagles are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Violations of these laws carry maximum criminal penalties of up to a $250,000 fine and two years in federal prison. Earlier this year a Tennessee man was convicted of killing a bald eagle near Tiptonville and sentenced to two years.

Bald eagles nest and live year-round in Tennessee, and many more overwinter in the state. Wintering bald eagles begin arriving in late October and peak in January and February. Tennessee’s winter population of bald eagles reaches 300 to 500 each year.

Anyone with information about the eagle should call the Fish and Wildlife Service at (615) 736-5532 or the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Region 3 Office at (931) 484-9571. Information and tips can also be provided here.

Background

Bald eagles are the only eagles unique to North America, and they have been a major success story in American conservation. Chosen by Congress as the nation’s symbol in 1782, the bald eagle was subject to widespread extermination efforts for the next two centuries. When the story of bald eagles’ poisoning by the pesticide DDT was popularized in Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, a nascent environmental movement rallied around them. The bald eagle was one of the first species listed under the 1967 precursor to today’s Endangered Species Act.

The bald eagle's comeback has been a strong one — a testament to the power of the Endangered Species Act. As a result of habitat protection, the federal government’s banning of DDT, and national conservation efforts, the bald eagle was delisted under the Act in 2007.

Bald eagles have a wingspan of seven feet and can live more than 30 years in the wild. They develop their iconic white head around age four. Adults mate for life and raise their young together. Illegal shooting, habitat destruction, and lead poisoning remain the primary threats to them today.