The Bald Eagle is Off The Endagered List
There were many decades in which the U.S. national symbol was believed to be headed for extinction, but the species has since made a remarkable comeback. In 1940 the bald eagle was declared to be endangered, and to protect it from hunters the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection act was passed. Even after the hunting stopped, there was still a decline in numbers due to the rampant use of DDT. The number of breeding pairs in the U.S. dipped to a low of 417 in 1963, leading to inclusion in 1973 on the endangered species list.
Far from being extinct, the treasured symbol of American freedom has made a dramatic turnaround from the road to extinction. Today nearly 10,000 pairs of bald eagles roam the U.S., which is enough to get the species removed from the protection of the endangered species list. Wildlife experts, however, will not be abandoning the bald eagle. For another five years, or more, the bald eagle will continue to be tracked and watched for any decline. If the number of eagles begins to fall, the species can again be placed under the protection of the endangered species list.
The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act will continue to protect the bald eagle even as it stays off the endangered species list. The eagles also have the protection of the1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The act was passed to protect migratory birds, such as the bald eagle, in other countries that share birds with the U.S. due to migration. The treaty protects the eagles that fly into Mexico and Canada from being hunted, as well as making it illegal to sell the nests and feathers of bald eagles to buy or sell their eggs.
The 1972 ban on the use of DDT has also done much to protect bald eagles. DDT traveled up the food chain to the bald eagle, and other animals, causing a steep decline in the number of breeding pairs. The pesticide washed from the fields to the waterways and eventually into bald eagles. Eagles then caught the contaminated fish living in these waters. The affected eagles were unable to produce eggshells that were hard enough to keep from cracking before the incubation period was over. The reproduction of the species was severely hampered when eagles accidentally cracked their eggs while caring for them. Today the threat of DDT is largely over and bald eagles can catch fish, roam the skies and keep increasing their numbers.
