h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In recent years the Golden Eagle has been making a strong comeback on the American west coast. It is no longer very unusual to see them in remote wilderness locations, not least in the less heavily wooded areas of Big Sur. Inland of the coastal range they are beginning to be displaced by the Bald Eagle, which is returning to the mainland from protected breeding sanctuaries on some of California's channel islands. When the Bald Eagles
move in, the Golden Eagles move out. This has the effect of relieving a stress on the Desert Kit Fox (also a protected species considered endangered), since while the Golden Eagle preys on the kit fox, the Bald Eagle does not. Nature is slowly restoring its equilibrium.

Its good to see both Eagles are off the endangered list but still on the protected species list. I'm all in favour of nature balancing her own books,without interference from humans.

On the desert kit fox, its extinct in the San Gabriel Valley (the greater Los Angeles area), coming back well in the Central coast area. There still is a population of them in southern California in the Perris Valley which is increasingly under pressure from the real estate developers.

I've seen the Golden Eagle in the Coachella Valley (actually had one perching on my roof over night 2002) and there are some protected ranges for them in Orange County, San Diego County, San Bernardino County and eastern Riverside County.