The History of American Eagles

The bald eagle was numerous across North America before European settlers began hunting them. The bald eagle, often called the American eagle, also saw its numbers drastically decrease due to DDT exposure until the birds were close to extinction. Today, their numbers are increasing thanks to a number of programs designed to increase their numbers.

  1. History

    • Before the European settlers began to settle the West, it's believed that there were about 500,000 bald eagles in North America. The steep decline in numbers began to be noticed in the 1930s.

    Types

    • There are two types of eagles that are native to the United States and Canada. Both types are federally protected birds.

    Time Frame

    • In 1967, the bald eagle was declared endangered. The Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973, providing legal protection to the birds as well as their nests and the trees they nest in.

    Geography

    • The largest numbers of American eagles are found in the northwest corner of North America. About 20,000 live in British Columbia and about 70,000 reside in Canada.

    Considerations

    • The bald eagle was declared a threatened species rather than an endangered one in 1995. Its comeback has been attributed to its legal protection, the DDT ban and from efforts to breed bald eagles and to release young eagles into the wild.