1 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:06,519 Speaker 1: You're listening to Part Time Genius, the production of Kaleidoscope 2 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: and iHeartRadio. Guess what Will? 3 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 2: What's that mango? 4 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: So there are all sorts of weird things I didn't 5 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: know about bald eagles before this week. Apparently our national 6 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 1: bird can swim. Did you know this? 7 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:22,439 Speaker 2: I did not know this. 8 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:25,640 Speaker 1: Yeah. I found this video on YouTube where the bird 9 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: just lands in the water and then kind of does 10 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 1: like a butterfly stroke. It's amazing to watch, and apparently 11 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: they can swim for pretty long distances. Also, I didn't 12 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: realize that bald eagles have a third eyelid. It's like 13 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:40,959 Speaker 1: a clear membrane that almost acts like safety goggles, so 14 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 1: it can see underwater when it's catching fish or when 15 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:48,200 Speaker 1: flying through debris. But the weirdest thing I learned about 16 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: the bald eagle is that when it squawks, it kind 17 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 1: of actually let me just play this club. 18 00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 2: Wait, so that's what an eagle sounds like? 19 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, that is the sound of an eagle roaring. 20 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 2: I don't know mega that sounds more like a seagull 21 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 2: if you ask me, I know. 22 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: I was so stunned. So I looked into it a 23 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: little more. And here's a quote from a site I 24 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 1: like called bird Note. Watch Stephen Colbert and the Colbert Report, 25 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: and you'll see a bald eagle streak across the screen, screaming, 26 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: talents outstretched, ferocious, majestic. But in the spirit of truthiness, 27 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: we must declare that the bird you hear is not 28 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: a bald eagle, but a red tailed hawk. 29 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:30,399 Speaker 2: So nice. 30 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: Apparently, editors since the early days of Hollywood decided to 31 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 1: switch out the eagles cry because it was a little 32 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: too pip squeaky and the sound wasn't medacing or patriotic enough, 33 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 1: so they regularly switch it out for the red tailed hawk. 34 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 1: Isn't that nuts? 35 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 2: That's wild? But actually, now that you say that, I 36 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 2: feel like I remember it and I will never forget 37 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 2: that whole intro to that show as many years as 38 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 2: it's been since it's been on. It was so good. 39 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: Well, that is just the first of a whole bunch 40 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 1: of eagle facts we've got today, So let's dive in. 41 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:24,079 Speaker 2: Hey, their podcast listeners, welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm 42 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 2: Will Pearson and as always I've got my good friend 43 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 2: Mango here and sitting on the other side of that 44 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 2: big booth, that's Dylan now I'm trying to figure out 45 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:33,959 Speaker 2: what he's doing back there. He appears to be lining 46 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 2: up a bunch of Are those two pays? Mango? 47 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 1: So apparently when Dylan heard we were doing an episode 48 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 1: on bald eagles, he realized what a coincidence it is, 49 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: because he's actually got an Etsy shop that sells two 50 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: pays for bald eagles. 51 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 2: Wow, that is so cool. 52 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 1: And I guess he told me the hair pieces boost 53 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: that bird's confidence, So he's got to do the Lord's 54 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: work here. 55 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 2: He's so enterprising that Dylan. Now, obviously this week is 56 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 2: July the fourth, and it feels fitting that, of course 57 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 2: we're doing this show on bald eagles. 58 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 1: So I'm curious, have you ever seen bald eagles in 59 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 1: the wild. 60 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:10,079 Speaker 2: Well, as you know, Mango, I have relatives that live 61 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:13,680 Speaker 2: in rural Virginia, just about an hour or so south 62 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 2: of Charlotte's Full there, and it's one of my favorite 63 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 2: places to go in the country and just be out 64 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 2: in the middle of nowhere. And we would sit at 65 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 2: my aunt Barbara's house, and we would always look across 66 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 2: this farm out over into these mountains, and they would 67 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 2: always point out these couple of eagles nests there, these 68 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 2: bald eagle nests, and I always loved watching them, so yes, 69 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 2: I have actually, so how about you? 70 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: That is really cool. I you know, when Lizzie and 71 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 1: I were first dating, we went to the Pacific Northwest 72 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:42,119 Speaker 1: and we drove up from Portland to the San Juan 73 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: Islands and this guy at this inn we stayed that 74 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: would gin up this bald eagle show at night for you, 75 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 1: And it was just spectacular. I was really charmed by 76 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: like the wildlife and landscape and just the birds I 77 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 1: thought were so beautiful. 78 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's pretty amazing. And obviously the eagle is one 79 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 2: of our national symbols as a mayor Americans. But one 80 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 2: of the things we should address right at the top 81 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 2: of this episode is the one person who had zero 82 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 2: respect for the bald eagle, and interestingly, that's our founding father, 83 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 2: Benjamin Franklin. 84 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's the whole thing, how he wanted a turkey 85 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 1: as a national bird, right. 86 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 2: Well, you know, it's an interesting story because I've heard 87 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:20,239 Speaker 2: that fact a lot, so I decided to look into 88 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 2: this a little bit more. And it's definitely true that 89 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:25,599 Speaker 2: Franklin didn't have much respect for the bald eagle. And 90 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 2: I've read a few different accounts of this, but this 91 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:31,479 Speaker 2: is from Ken Zersky's unremembered blog, and in it he 92 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,919 Speaker 2: talks about how back in seventeen seventy five, as the 93 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 2: founding fathers were trying to figure out what symbol had 94 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:41,599 Speaker 2: the quote temper and Conduct of America, which is a 95 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 2: big task to try to figure this out, Ben Franklin 96 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 2: was dismissive of the eagle. In this letter he wrote 97 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:49,600 Speaker 2: to his daughter, he says the bald eagle is a 98 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 2: bird of bad moral character. He does not get his 99 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 2: living honestly, referring to how the bird is a scavenger 100 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:58,480 Speaker 2: and also how it sometimes steals food from other birds midair. 101 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 2: So I guess I kind of see the first. Yeah, 102 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 2: but that takes a lot of skill. He's like a 103 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 2: you know, a skilled thief. Yeah, I guess that's true. 104 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:09,039 Speaker 2: But I don't know if we wanted a skilled thief, 105 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:12,679 Speaker 2: as you know, as our national symbol. And Franklin considered 106 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 2: the eagle and his words quote a rank coward like, 107 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:17,599 Speaker 2: I don't know if you noticed by these words he 108 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 2: is not a fan of the eagle. So instead he 109 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 2: suggested an animal that quote never begins an attack, nor 110 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 2: once engaged ever surrenders. She is therefore an emblem of 111 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 2: magnanimity and true courage. So that's what we're looking for. 112 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 2: It's a lot of pressure. And I'm certain you won't 113 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 2: guess what animal he wanted to be America's national symbol. 114 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 2: It's actually the rattlesnake. 115 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:44,840 Speaker 1: That is so crazy. He thought the bald eagle had 116 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:48,159 Speaker 1: no character, but he wanted a snake to represent the US. 117 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 2: Isn't that weird? And it kind of makes me think 118 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 2: of the whole like, don't treat on me flag, I guess. 119 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:55,600 Speaker 1: Yeah. So, so where'd the whole Turkey thing come from? 120 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:57,559 Speaker 2: Well, this is from a mix of the Wall Street 121 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:00,360 Speaker 2: Journal and the Unremembered site that I mentioned before. But 122 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 2: the Turkey story comes from Ben Franklin being irritated by 123 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 2: this Society of the Cincinnati which this was the organization 124 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 2: or fraternity that honored revolutionary War heroes and officers, and 125 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,359 Speaker 2: so the club seal had an eagle on it, and 126 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:18,600 Speaker 2: Franklin was apparently annoyed that he hadn't been offered membership, 127 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:21,360 Speaker 2: so he wrote a little diatribe about the bald eagle, 128 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:24,800 Speaker 2: which he thought looked like a Turkey and the seal's drawing, 129 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:27,279 Speaker 2: and then he joked that even though the turkey is 130 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 2: quote vain and silly, it will be a better and 131 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:34,480 Speaker 2: more respectable mascot for America. But the most interesting part 132 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 2: is that this is from a letter to his daughter 133 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 2: that he never actually sent but kept for his archives. 134 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 2: So likely he thought the lines were funny enough to 135 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:45,239 Speaker 2: be preserved, and I guess they have been over the years. 136 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:48,960 Speaker 1: Well, speaking of historic figures, we should definitely talk about 137 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 1: America's best known bird watcher, John J. Audubon, who, like Franklin, 138 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 1: had total contempt for the bald eagle. 139 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:00,560 Speaker 2: Really I knew so I'd known this about Franklin, but 140 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:02,599 Speaker 2: but did not know this about Ottoman. Why did he 141 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 2: not like eagles? 142 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:05,799 Speaker 1: So it's kind of for the same reason Franklin didn't. 143 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 1: This comes from the historian Jack Davis's book The Bald 144 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 1: Eagle Improbable Journey of America's Bird, which is terrific, But 145 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: apparently Audubon once wrote, suffered me kind reader to say 146 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: how much I grieved that the bald eagles should have 147 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: been selected as the emblem of my country. Audubon saw 148 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: the creatures as cowards and tyrants. And he actually enjoyed 149 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: shooting and killing the birds with his fowling gun. 150 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 2: Wow, so he actually did enjoy killing them. 151 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 3: Yeah. 152 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 1: In fact, the Atlantic is even blunter about it. They 153 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 1: wrote Audubon wrote loathingly of eagles and did not miss 154 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 1: an opportunity to murder them. But also Audubon didn't actually 155 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:45,640 Speaker 1: stop there. After shooting the eagles, often around their nests, 156 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 1: he would then take the baby eaglitz and eat them. 157 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 1: He called baby bald eagles good eating and wrote the 158 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 1: flesh resembles veal in taste and tenderness veal. I mean, 159 00:07:57,080 --> 00:08:02,119 Speaker 1: that's from America's most famous birdwatcher and bird taster, John 160 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 1: Jay Ottobon. 161 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 2: I mean, it's not entirely surprising that Ottobon shot the birds. 162 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 2: I do remember, for mental flaws that he shot most 163 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 2: of the birds that he drew because he had them 164 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:15,000 Speaker 2: tax at ermie and mounted on branches before he would 165 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 2: illustrate them. That would allow him to draw them more accurately. 166 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 2: I guess, yeah. I mean, I don't know that he 167 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 2: ate all those other birds that he shot. But what's interesting, 168 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 2: and this is another fact I didn't know. But in 169 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:28,920 Speaker 2: his book, Davis points out that while Americans worshiped the 170 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 2: bald eagle as this national icon, they didn't really respect 171 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 2: the creature in the real world. So early settlers killed 172 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 2: the birds to feed their hogs. Also, eagles competed with 173 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 2: hunters for small game. They were a nuisance to livestock, 174 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 2: so until the middle of the twentieth century when they 175 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 2: started going extinct, they were really treated like pests, not 176 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 2: unlike rats, foxes, or wolves, and Americans used to kill 177 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:54,080 Speaker 2: them as such. In fact, Davis found that there used 178 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 2: to be cash bounties for eagle talons. I guess people 179 00:08:57,280 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 2: thought the claws were valuable. But when he looked at 180 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 2: newspaper databases for bald eagle shootings between eighteen fifty and 181 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 2: nineteen twenty, he got over one hundred and eighty thousand 182 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 2: instances of killed birds. Oh wow, Actually this makes me 183 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 2: rethink Dylan's two pay thing, Like, maybe they're not so 184 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 2: much about making these bald eagles more confident, but maybe 185 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 2: about disguising them as. 186 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:20,199 Speaker 1: Other birds protection. 187 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:23,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, we should look into this a little bit more. 188 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 2: There may be more to it, but I do want 189 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:28,559 Speaker 2: to talk about the conservation efforts and how bald eagles 190 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 2: got to be protected. But before that, let's hit just 191 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:34,240 Speaker 2: one more point about how the bald eagle became our 192 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 2: national mascot. So eagles, as Davis pointed out in his book, 193 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:41,200 Speaker 2: have this rich history of being seen as majestic birds. 194 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 2: You think way back to mythology. Zeus had one as 195 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:47,840 Speaker 2: a companion. Eagles served as a messenger to Jupiter, and 196 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 2: were used as an emblem of the Roman legion. You've 197 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:56,079 Speaker 2: got Charlemagne, Napoleon, Saladin all used eagles and coats of arms, 198 00:09:56,640 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 2: and as Davis points out, the Founding Fathers were no 199 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:02,440 Speaker 2: strangers to lift ideas from the Greeks and Romans and 200 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:06,679 Speaker 2: other civilizations. But the question is why did they go 201 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 2: with the bald eagle, Because the Founding Fathers could have 202 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:11,920 Speaker 2: gone with the golden eagle. Unlike the bald eagle, the 203 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 2: golden eagle isn't a thief. It catches its own prey. 204 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 2: It's super strong, it's powerful enough to attack larger animals 205 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 2: like deer or antelope on rare occasions. But it's precisely 206 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 2: because the golden eagle exists in other countries and continents 207 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:30,080 Speaker 2: and had already been used as a symbol of so 208 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 2: many other armies. And emperors. They decided they wanted a 209 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:36,679 Speaker 2: variation that was truly American, and that's where we came 210 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 2: up with the bald eagle. 211 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 1: Oh, I guess I hadn't thought of that. The bald 212 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:43,440 Speaker 1: eagle does feel uniquely American, even if it's a bit 213 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:44,480 Speaker 1: of a scoundrel. 214 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 2: But right. 215 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: One thing I found interesting is that there's at least 216 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:51,600 Speaker 1: one real live bald eagle who got some respect before 217 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:55,199 Speaker 1: they became a protected species, and that's a bird named 218 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 1: old Abe so Abe, I guess was adopted by Ajibwa 219 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: Indian chief in the eighteen hundreds. This is after the 220 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:05,120 Speaker 1: tribe had cut down a tree and the eagle had 221 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:07,560 Speaker 1: been roosting in it, so the chief took it in 222 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:10,680 Speaker 1: and then traded the bird to a Wisconsin tavern owner. 223 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:13,319 Speaker 1: And when the Civil War started, a company of Union 224 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:16,040 Speaker 1: soldiers adopted him as their mascot and they trained him, 225 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: which I didn't actually realize you could do. But among 226 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 1: Abe's tricks, he could sign autographs, he could dance to 227 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:25,720 Speaker 1: a fiddle, he could shake hands with the talon, and 228 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:29,200 Speaker 1: also kill a chicken on command. So very useful. 229 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:31,760 Speaker 2: God, as you wonder how many times they put him 230 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 2: up to that trick. 231 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 1: They're shaking hands. I'm sure he did all the time, right. 232 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:37,760 Speaker 1: He also went into battle with the company, and apparently 233 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:41,319 Speaker 1: the Confederate soldiers saw Abe as a prize, so according 234 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:43,560 Speaker 1: to the Atlantic, they vowed to take the eagle dead 235 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:46,960 Speaker 1: or alive. He was even shot twice in battle but survived, 236 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:51,080 Speaker 1: and even General Grant and General Sherman respected Abe so 237 00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:53,720 Speaker 1: much that they would tip their hats to him when 238 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:54,839 Speaker 1: they saw him. 239 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 2: Wow, I like that. Finally a bald eagle getting some 240 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:01,400 Speaker 2: real respect. Here. Here's a myth I think we need 241 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 2: to dispel. It's that bald eagles are baby snatchers, because 242 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 2: this could not be further from the truth. So people 243 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 2: think bald eagles go after babies. Yeah, Actually the baby 244 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:15,439 Speaker 2: snatching thing is part of why people shot bald eagles. 245 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:19,080 Speaker 2: Apparently this is from the Wall Street Journal. Americans believed 246 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 2: birds would regularly steal lambs, pigs, and calves, and there 247 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 2: were stories about them swooping down to steal babies for snacks, 248 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:28,960 Speaker 2: which is a little bit bit weird, you know, snack 249 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 2: on a baby, And it was already something that people 250 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:35,280 Speaker 2: gossiped about, but the myth got further perpetuated by this 251 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:38,760 Speaker 2: early silent movie from nineteen oh eight called Rescued from 252 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:41,160 Speaker 2: an Eagle's Nest. I had never heard of this before, 253 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:44,400 Speaker 2: and it has this incredible image of an eagle taking 254 00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:47,200 Speaker 2: off with a baby twice its size, and then the 255 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 2: parents basically hunting the bird and getting their baby back. Actually, 256 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:53,320 Speaker 2: here I'll show you this still from the movie. Isn't 257 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 2: this crazy? This is not It's amazing. 258 00:12:56,520 --> 00:12:58,720 Speaker 1: It's so funny how fake it looks now, But like 259 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:01,880 Speaker 1: obviously it com people at the time. That baby is huge. 260 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 2: It's a gigantic baby. It steals giant babies, not just babies. 261 00:13:06,679 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 2: But it was look I guess good eating here. But 262 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:11,680 Speaker 2: here's the thing is Davis points out in his book 263 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:14,719 Speaker 2: bald eagles max out at about fourteen pounds and they 264 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:18,640 Speaker 2: can't really lift more than five pound weights, which is interesting. 265 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:20,480 Speaker 2: I would have thought they could have lifted much more. 266 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:23,560 Speaker 2: I get them in the gym, yes, exactly, so maybe 267 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:26,200 Speaker 2: they can take off with like a tiny cat or 268 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:28,959 Speaker 2: something like that. But they are not stealing babies or 269 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 2: lambs or calves. Their diet is fish and for good reason, 270 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 2: and that's part of the reason they scavenge. They're these 271 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:39,000 Speaker 2: big beautiful creatures, but they aren't going to fly off 272 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:41,079 Speaker 2: with your toddler, So you can check that concern off 273 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:41,439 Speaker 2: the list. 274 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:44,679 Speaker 1: Well, I know we've got plenty more facts, but before 275 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 1: we get to that, let's take a quick break. 276 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 2: Welcome back to Part Time Genius, where we're discussing all 277 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:06,959 Speaker 2: things bald eagle. So, Mango, where do you want to 278 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:07,400 Speaker 2: go next? 279 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 1: Well, before we get into more real facts about bald eagles, 280 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:13,000 Speaker 1: one thing I was thinking about was you know that 281 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:16,320 Speaker 1: character Sam the Eagle from the Muppets. Of course, yeah, 282 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:18,760 Speaker 1: so this is a total aside, but when we introduced 283 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 1: Henry to the Muppets when he was a kid, he 284 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:24,720 Speaker 1: was completely obsessed, like totally obsessed with Sam the Eagle 285 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 1: of all the characters. And then he'd be like, that 286 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:28,480 Speaker 1: guy is the best. 287 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 3: He's so funny, and we were like that, are you 288 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 3: sure that's the one you're choosing, And obviously, like kids 289 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 3: love like Chaos Muppets, right, like Gonzo Deeker and Swedish Chef. 290 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 1: But like you'd be like, Nope, that's the funny one. 291 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 2: I like that one. 292 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 1: And of course, you know, when you grew up, Henry 293 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 1: thinks all rules are ridiculous and laughable, So I guess 294 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 1: it kind of makes sense. But I was looking up 295 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:54,760 Speaker 1: Sam the Eagle just because I loved be fun and 296 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:58,680 Speaker 1: he's a character that Frank Oz played, But I found 297 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 1: some funny bits about his lord or when is that? 298 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:03,720 Speaker 1: In a serious XM interview he did. Sam admitted that 299 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: he has two kids in college, but to his disgust, 300 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 1: both have been total disappointments. His son measured in taxidermy 301 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 1: and his daughter is dating an owl, so I thought 302 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: that was silly. 303 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 2: But that's pretty great. 304 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 1: But I also hadn't picked up on this, like he's 305 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 1: so serious and official that I didn't realize they'd written 306 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:24,840 Speaker 1: the character as kind of a buffoon. And I read 307 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 1: that in an early episode of The Muppet Show that 308 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:31,720 Speaker 1: great ballet dancer Nuria Rudolph Nuriev was on and Sam 309 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:35,920 Speaker 1: praises him as his favorite opera singer, and when Doria 310 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 1: corrects him and tells him he's a dancer of Sam 311 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:43,240 Speaker 1: kind of shrugs and says, culture is culture. I love that. 312 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 1: I feel like I feel like every time I say 313 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:48,520 Speaker 1: something stupid about art, now I'm just gonna be like, 314 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:50,080 Speaker 1: culture is culture, man. 315 00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 2: Culture's culture. Yeah, that's that's the way it is, all right? 316 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 2: So what fact are you going to end on here, Mango? 317 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 1: Well, I kind of want to give bald eagles a 318 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,200 Speaker 1: bit of their due, you know, And there are so 319 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:03,200 Speaker 1: many wonderful facts about bald eagles. They build giant nests. 320 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:06,320 Speaker 1: According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, they can build nests 321 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 1: that are eight feet wide, twelve feet high and weigh 322 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:13,240 Speaker 1: more than two tons, which is massive. Bald eagles can 323 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:15,800 Speaker 1: fly up to ninety nine miles per hour, and their 324 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:18,720 Speaker 1: eyesight is obviously remarkable. They can spot a rabbit from 325 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 1: about three miles away. But the thing I like most 326 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 1: about bald eagles is that they are total love birds. 327 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:28,680 Speaker 1: They are monogamous and mate for life, and according to 328 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 1: the Ottoman Society quote, their spectacular courtship rituals are a 329 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 1: site to see, with the birds locking talons, then flipping, 330 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 1: spinning and twirling through the air in a maneuver called 331 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:42,600 Speaker 1: the cartwheel display. They break apart seemingly at the last 332 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:46,360 Speaker 1: moment just before hitting the ground, which you know, somehow 333 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:48,880 Speaker 1: makes it seem like they're truly madly in love. 334 00:16:49,960 --> 00:16:52,600 Speaker 2: Oh wow, I guess that's one thing Ben Franklin cannot 335 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 2: fault them. 336 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 1: For being in love. So what's your last fact. 337 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:57,560 Speaker 2: Well, I mentioned I wanted to talk a little bit 338 00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 2: about how we brought the bald eagle population from the 339 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:03,080 Speaker 2: brink of extinction. So this is actually straight from a 340 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 2: house stuff Works article. But back in seventeen eighty two, 341 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 2: when the bald eagle was put on the National Seal, 342 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,320 Speaker 2: there were about one hundred thousand nesting pairs living in 343 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:14,920 Speaker 2: the United States and northern Mexico. But by nineteen sixty 344 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:18,600 Speaker 2: three there were only about four hundred and seventeen nesting pairs. 345 00:17:18,600 --> 00:17:22,160 Speaker 2: Wow or forty eight states. Yeah, so huge decline there. 346 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:24,760 Speaker 2: And the truth is that this is after some of 347 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:27,960 Speaker 2: the conservation efforts had already begun, so they were definitely 348 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:31,000 Speaker 2: very much at risk. And the Bald Eagle Protection Act 349 00:17:31,119 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 2: was passed in nineteen forty. It really played into people's patriotism, 350 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:38,480 Speaker 2: making it a crime to kill or sell eagles. Then, 351 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:41,760 Speaker 2: when the pesticide DDT was used in the nineteen forties 352 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:45,080 Speaker 2: to the sixties, that also affected the eagles because it 353 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:48,120 Speaker 2: seeped into the water, it affected the fish, and when 354 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:51,200 Speaker 2: the eagles ate the fish, it created these thinner eggshells. 355 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:54,359 Speaker 2: So basically the one to three eaglets that a couple 356 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:57,800 Speaker 2: hatches every year. They were no longer getting born because 357 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:01,919 Speaker 2: the eggs would crack, and DDT gets banned, and the 358 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:05,520 Speaker 2: government both protected more of the eagle habitats and started 359 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:08,520 Speaker 2: breeding the birds in captivity. Then they would release them 360 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:11,760 Speaker 2: into the wild, and this really changed things for eagles, 361 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:14,359 Speaker 2: and it's it's actually pretty amazing the recovery there. Today 362 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 2: there are about three hundred thousand bald eagles in the 363 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 2: US and about seventy thousand nesting pairs, so well on 364 00:18:20,560 --> 00:18:22,119 Speaker 2: their way to a great return. 365 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:25,280 Speaker 1: That's pretty remarkable, both like the what they were at 366 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:27,919 Speaker 1: to dip to like what like four hundred and fifteen 367 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,639 Speaker 1: or something you said, and then like coming all the 368 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:32,240 Speaker 1: way back up to three hundred thousand. 369 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:35,120 Speaker 2: That's nuts. Yeah, it's definitely impressive. And in fact, even 370 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:37,080 Speaker 2: though there hadn't been bald eagles in New York City 371 00:18:37,119 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 2: for almost a century, there are actually four bald eagles 372 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:43,680 Speaker 2: now in the city and they've hatched nearly a dozen eaglets. 373 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:46,000 Speaker 1: Oh, that's incredible. I hadn't even heard about that. 374 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 2: Yeah. Apparently the first pair, who were named Veto and Linda, 375 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:52,920 Speaker 2: built a nest in Staten Island in twenty fifteen. Veto 376 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,840 Speaker 2: and Linda love the names, and since then they have 377 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:57,160 Speaker 2: grown their family. 378 00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:01,159 Speaker 1: That is so fun, but you know, it just causes 379 00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:03,920 Speaker 1: one problem. What do you want to do about today's trophy? 380 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:07,680 Speaker 1: Because I had some great facts, you had some great facts. 381 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:10,200 Speaker 1: Veto and Linda were in the mix. What do you think? 382 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:12,760 Speaker 2: You know? I kind of want to throw a curveball here. 383 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:15,359 Speaker 2: It's our July fourth episode, and I feel like we 384 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 2: should award the trophy to a true American, you know, 385 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:22,040 Speaker 2: an entrepreneur who single handedly is trying to make bald 386 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:24,600 Speaker 2: eagles feel better by putting them in two pays. So 387 00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:27,760 Speaker 2: I'm going to vote to give this week's award to Dylan. 388 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:28,280 Speaker 2: What do you think? 389 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:30,600 Speaker 1: I am for it, but only this once. 390 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:34,199 Speaker 2: That's right, That's right. Well, congratulations Dylan. That's it for 391 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:37,199 Speaker 2: this week's episode. Thanks so much for listening. If you 392 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:39,440 Speaker 2: like Part Time Genius, don't forget to rate the show, 393 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 2: write his review, tell a friend, or if you really 394 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:44,479 Speaker 2: want to get to us, write our mom's a note 395 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:47,720 Speaker 2: at Ptgenius Moms at gmail dot com. 396 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 1: Oh, and we actually have a giveaway. We're gonna pick 397 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:52,920 Speaker 1: ten random fans from everyone who writes in this week 398 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:55,680 Speaker 1: and next, and I'm gonna send you a special gift 399 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:58,359 Speaker 1: to show our appreciation. So let us know what you 400 00:19:58,359 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 1: think about the show, what topics want us to cover, 401 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:05,600 Speaker 1: and we'll put something in the mail for you From Will, Dylan, 402 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:21,560 Speaker 1: Mary and me. Thank you so much for listening. Part 403 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:25,240 Speaker 1: Time Genius is a production of Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio. This 404 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:29,159 Speaker 1: show is hosted by Will Pearson and Me Mongas Chatikler 405 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:33,520 Speaker 1: and researched by our good pal Mary Philip Sandy. Today's 406 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:36,879 Speaker 1: episode was engineered and produced by the wonderful Dylan Fagan 407 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:40,560 Speaker 1: with support from Tyler Klang. The show is executive produced 408 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:44,119 Speaker 1: for iHeart by Katrina Norvell and Ali Perry, with social 409 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 1: media support from Sasha Gay, trustee Dara Potts and Viney Shorey. 410 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:53,720 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 411 00:20:53,880 --> 00:21:06,320 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 412 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:00,119 Speaker 3: The