The Bald Eagle Recovery

The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States. In the 1960s, there were very few bald eagles left. A harmful chemical called DDT was making their eggshells too thin. Thanks to new laws and the banning of DDT, bald eagles have made an incredible comeback.

What Went Wrong

Farmers once sprayed a chemical called DDT to kill insects on their crops. DDT got into rivers and was eaten by fish. When bald eagles ate those fish, the DDT made their eggshells so thin that they broke before the chicks could hatch. By 1963, there were only about 417 pairs of bald eagles left in the lower 48 states.

A Great Comeback

In 1972, the United States banned DDT. The Endangered Species Act also protected bald eagles from being hunted. Scientists raised eagle chicks and released them into the wild. Slowly, the numbers grew. Today, there are more than 300,000 bald eagles in the United States. It is one of the greatest conservation success stories ever.

Fun Facts

• A bald eagle's nest can be up to 10 feet wide and weigh more than a ton!
• Bald eagles can see fish in the water from more than a mile away.
• Bald eagles are not actually bald. Their name comes from an old word meaning white-headed.

Did You Know?

The bald eagle was removed from the endangered species list in 2007 after one of the most successful wildlife recoveries in history!