What does it say about a nation when its national bird is threatened?
Luckily, the bald eagle's story is one of recovery. With the banning of chemicals such as DDT, this majestic bird has made a comeback. While there are still many threats, its future looks good.
Family: Accipitriidae (Eagles and Hawks)

Estimated Population: In 1999 there were about 5,800 nesting pairs of bald eagles in the lower 48 states. As many as 16,000 birds have been counted in the wild.
Endangered Status: The bald eagle is on the U.S. Endangered Species List. It is classified as threatened in all of the continental United States except Alaska. The US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to remove the bald eagle from the Endangered Species list in 1999. As of 2004, the delisting proposal is still pending.
Appearance: Adults have blackish bodies with a white head and tail and heavy yellow bills. Young birds lack the white head and tail until they are five years old and have a dark brown to black bill.
Size: Females may weigh up to 15 pounds. Males are smaller and lighter. Eagles reach 30-31 inches tall and have a wingspan of six to seven feet.
Life Span: More than 30 years in the wild
Some information provided courtesy of eNature.com®. Family: Accipitridae, Hawks and Eagles view all from this family
Description 30-31" (76-79 cm). W. 6-7' 6" (1.8-2.3 m). A large blackish eagle with white head and tail and heavy yellow bill. Young birds lack the white head and tail, and resemble adult Golden Eagles, but are variably marked with white and have a black, more massive bill.
Endangered Status The Bald Eagle is on the U.S. Endangered Species List. It is classified as threatened in all of the continental United States except Alaska. Our national bird suffered a dramatic decline caused by ingestion of pesticides and of lead-contaminated waterfowl. The main culprit was DDT, which was sprayed on crops to control pest damage. It leached into rivers, lakes, and streams, where it entered the food chain, absorbed by plants and small animals that were consumed by fish. Eagles and other large birds of prey in turn ate the contaminated fish.
The main effect of DDT poisoning on birds was that it interfered with eggshell production, and the resulting shells were not strong enough to sustain incubation. Populations of many bird species, including the Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, and Brown Pelican, plummeted. DDT use was outlawed in the U.S. in 1972, and conservation efforts on behalf of the Bald Eagle, begun in 1940 when Congress passed the Bald Eagle Protection Act, finally began to have an effect. The majestic eagle is now making a steady comeback, and once again nests in areas where it was wiped out during the 1960s. However, it is still not as numerous as it was in colonial times, when it was a familiar sight along almost every coastline. Until 1995 the Bald Eagle was listed as threatened in Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin, and as endangered elsewhere in the lower 48 states; in 1995 its status was changed to threatened throughout the lower 48.
Habitat Lakes, rivers, marshes, and seacoasts.
Nesting 2 or 3 white eggs in a massive nest of sticks in a tall tree or, less frequently, on top of a cliff.
Range Breeds from Alaska east to Newfoundland and south locally to California, Great Lakes, and Virginia; also in Arizona, along Gulf Coast, and in Florida. Formerly more widespread. Winters along coasts and large rivers in much of United States.
Voice  Squeaky cackling and thin squeals.
Discussion Bald Eagles are fish eaters, like Ospreys; when they pursue their prey they rarely enter the water as an Osprey does, but instead snatch the fish from the surface with their talons. Where Ospreys are common, the eagles obtain much of their food by stealing it from the smaller "fish hawk."