While bald eagles have never been in serious trouble on the BC coast, they struggled in many other
parts of North America. The first big hit they took was in the mid-19th century, when
over-hunting and habitat loss impacted bald eagles and many other bird species.

The second big hit was the use of the pesticide DDT, which became popular in the 1940s. It was used
until 1973 in Canada, until 1972 in the US. DDT impacted bald eagles and other birds of prey by
infiltrating the food chain, causing them to lay eggs with thin shells that would easily break.
Many bald eagle populations crashed.

Banning the use of DDT allowed for a successful recovery for eagles and other birds of prey.
Bald eagles were taken off the US endangered species list in 2007, and there are now more than
11,000 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states. BC has an estimated 20,000 bald eagles, second
only to Alaska.

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