Eagles Soar

The bald eagle is a symbol of strength. These raptors are large. Their wingspan can be eight feet. But not so long ago, their population was weak. Today, the birds are a success story for conservation.

Four bald eagles perch in Alaska. About 30,000 bald eagles live there. The birds are a common sight.

Saving Bald Eagles

In the 1970s, eagles were in trouble. A chemical called DDT was being used across the country. It was meant to kill pests. But it also harmed other animals and people. DDT weakened the shells of eagle eggs. Because of this, fewer eaglets were hatched. DDT was made illegal in 1972. By then, the eagle population was very low.

A bald eagle nests with its two eaglets. Mothers usually lay one to three eggs a year.

People across the country worked to protect the birds. Conservationists brought in healthy eagles from other places, such as Canada. And they made sure eagle eggs had a safe place to hatch.

Now, eagles are no longer endangered in the U.S. Their numbers are growing in many states. But the birds still face dangers. They are hit by cars. They get tangled in fishing line. And they become sick with bird flu. The illness is affecting animals all over the country.

This eagle, Freedom, lives in a zoo in New Jersey. In January, the state took eagles off of its endangered list.

Doing Our Part

Matthew Palumbo is a wildlife biologist. He wants everyone to care about eagles. He says we can all do our part. Palumbo told TIME for Kids that people should clean up their trash. This helps maintain “clean water, clean air, and clean soil.”

A bald eagle comes in for a landing in Canada. More than half of the world’s eagles live in Canada.

If you’re lucky, you might see an eagle in the wild. But be sure to watch it from far away. “One way to help protect them is to give them plenty of space,” Palumbo says.