FACTS ABOUT BALD EAGLE’S HISTORY AND RECOVERY

With BC-CNS-Bald Eagles

By Cronkite News Service

Here are some facts about the bald eagle’s history and its recovery nationally:

_ Adopted as the national symbol in 1782.

_ Can live up to 25 years in the wild and longer in captivity.

_ In 1963, only about 400 nesting pairs of bald eagles remained in the lower 48 U.S. states due to loss of habitat, shooting and pesticide poisoning.

_ Today, there are an estimated 10,000 pairs in the lower 48 states.

_ In June 2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it would remove the bald eagle from its list of threatened and endangered species.

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Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service