Thirteen bald eagles found dead on American farm

Authorities in the US are investigating the deaths of 13 bald eagles discovered on a Maryland farm.

Maryland Natural Resources police received a call on Saturday from a man reporting four dead eagles near Federalsburg in the eastern part of the state, said spokeswoman Candy Thomson. Officers arrived and discovered nine more dead birds nearby.

Catherine Hibbard, a spokeswoman for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which is investigating the deaths, said the cause of death was unknown pending a medical examination.

The maximum fine for harming a bald eagle is $100,000 (€90,000) and up to one year in prison, she said.

The bald eagle, which almost disappeared from the United States decades ago, was removed from the federal endangered species list in August 2007 after the banning of the pesticide DDT and habitat protection led to its recovery, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The bald eagle is a symbol of the federal government and is featured in the presidential seal and on US currency. The bird is federally protected.

Ms Thomson said the 13 birds represented Maryland’s largest bald eagle die-off in 30 years.

– Reuters