Bald Eagles: The Comeback Kids

The Bald Eagle is our national bird and a symbol of freedom, strength and grace. They are also a powerful symbol in conservation and one of the most well known cases of population recovery. 

Bald Eagles flourished in the United States. Hunting for sport and protection of fishing grounds led to a decrease in population numbers. The introduction of DDT, a pesticide that was used to kill mosquitoes, further decreased their numbers. DDT caused eggshells to become very thin and brittle, and the eggs would often be crushed before young birds could hatch. By the mid-1960's there were only 500 nesting pairs of Bald Eagles left in the United States. 

Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" brought attention to the DDT issue and by 1972 it was restricted by the federal government. Bald Eagles have steadily recovered and were removed from the Endangered Species list in 2007. There are now 10,000 nesting pairs in the lower 48! 

We are lucky enough to have Bald Eagles in our area that have been spotted on Oak Hollow Lake, High Point City Lake and Lake Brandt in Greensboro.