The bald eagle is a triumph of wildlife conservation. By the middle of the 1900s, very few bald eagles existed in the United States. Hunting, loss of habitat to humans, and the use of pesticides, or chemicals used to protect crops from insect pests, had nearly wiped out the bald eagle population. …

National Bird

In 1782, the bald eagle was selected to be the national bird of the new United States. At that time, the bald eagle population was about 100,000 nesting eagles. By 1963, there were only about 400 breeding pairs. Thanks to the work of conservationists, there are now at least 7,500 breeding pairs of bald eagles in most of the United States, not counting Alaska and Hawaii.

Bald eagles are known for their white heads and tails. Birds are about five years old when their head and tail feathers become white.

Facts About the Bald Eagle

BALD EAGLE HABITAT

The red area shows the bald eagle’s habitat.