USA: Bald eagle population recovers
The bald eagle was once on the brink of extinction in the USA. Now its population has recovered. The number of these birds of prey is rising sharply.
According to a recent report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service the population of the American bald eagle — the bold national symbol of the United States — has quadrupled since 2009.
Bald eagles were once on the verge of extinction, reaching an all-time low of 417 known breeding pairs across the 48 contiguous states in 1963. According to scientists, the population rose after decades of protection and the banning of the pesticide DDT to an estimated 316,700 individual bald eagles, including 71,400 breeding pairs across the country.
Today’s announcement is truly a historic conservation success story. Announcements like ours today give me hope. I believe we have a unique opportunity to protect our environment and our way of life for future generations. But we will only achieve great things if we work together.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.
According to Martha Williams, deputy director of the agency, the bird’s recovery is one of the most well-known wildlife conservation success stories of all time. This is attributed to the collaboration of government agencies, tribes, non-governmental organizations, and private landowners.
This report is the second in a series of reports published on bald and golden eagles. For more information on bald eagle management and further background information, please visit: https://www.fws.gov/birds/management/managed-species/eagle-management.php.
