In 1963, officials counted just 417 nesting pairs of bald eagles as DDT drove them toward extinction. 44 years later, 9,789 pairs helped secure national symbol delisting

In 1963, the bald eagle was in serious trouble. Only 417 nesting pairs were known to exist, and the species faced a combination of habitat loss, shooting and the effects of DDT. Decades of protection and conservation changed that trajectory. By 2007, officials estimated at least 9,789 nesting pairs in the contiguous United States, helping the nation’s symbol reach a remarkable recovery, as per a report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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