On Thu, 28 Jan 1999, Thomas Cotner wrote:


> Surprisingly, the article, while it does mention "eagles", virtually skips
> this most recognizable of raptors and focuses on hawks, falcons and owls.

I'll have to pick this article up. I'm very glad to see that a paper
article is focusing on other raptors rather than our nations bird, so many
times I encounter people that the only raptor they know is the Bald Eagle.
This bird is very important, however washington has 17 species of
regularly occurring raptors and many of these need to get the attention of
the public. Without that attention it may be hard for some of these
raptors who are declining in their populations to recieve such success
stories as has been the fortune of the Bald Eagle, Osprey and the
Peregrine Falcon. Gee, does this article mean that the next time a
non-birder friend mentions a raptor they might be telling me about that
exciting merlin that they saw flying through the neighborhood.

Scott Downes
sdownes at u.washington.edu
Seattle WA