Bald Eagles are fascinating birds. I don't see enough of them, but then it wasn't long ago that we never saw them. Fortunately, they have recovered from a serious population decline. We are seeing them again here in the Willamette Valley, and it appears numbers have increased throughout the US. We are fortunate to have a nesting tree on the north side of Skinner Butte. I saw this immature bald eagle in Fern Ridge Wildlife Area.

This report in CNN back in 2007 reviews their recovery after being put under the protection of the Endangered Species Act in 1972:

"Bald eagle populations severely declined in the lower 48 states between 1870 and 1970 due to hunting, habitat loss and the use of DDT. DDT, a powerful insecticide, made bald eagle eggshells so weak they couldn't produce viable offspring. In 1963, there were only 417 breeding pairs in the lower 48."

"In a national effort to save the iconic bird, the federal government banned the use of DDT in 1972 and placed the bald eagle under protection of the Endangered Species Act, which allowed the government to protect bald eagle habitat. These two key factors helped it recover, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. Today, there are 9,789 breeding pairs in the lower 48 states."