Since the early 2000s, the bald eagle, the national bird of the United States, has been experiencing a resurgence after being removed from the endangered species list by the federal government. This positive trend has been mirrored by various states following suit, with New Jersey being the latest to delist the bald eagle as endangered in January.
The recovery of the bald eagle population can be attributed to the banning of DDT, a chemical insecticide that had adverse effects on the birds, particularly thinning their eggshells. Conservation efforts included importing birds from stable populations in Canada and implementing strategies like replacing real eggs with artificial ones for safe hatching.
