John F. Kennedy famously said of the bald eagle, “The fierce beauty and proud independence of this great bird aptly symbolises the strength and freedom of America.”
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the bald eagle’s survival was in jeopardy in the middle of the 20th century due to a combination of habitat degradation,
Unlawful shooting, and pesticides poisoning the bird’s food supply. Because they were thought to pose a threat to cattle and chicks, several bald eagles were shot.
When the bald eagle was initially chosen as the American emblem, it is estimated that there were around 100,000 nesting bald eagles in the United States.
According to the Wildlife Service, the fall began in the 1800s and coincided with a drop in the numbers of other bird species. Bald eagles were in danger of becoming extinct in 1963,
With just 417 nesting pairs believed to exist. Bald eagles were designated as endangered throughout the contiguous 48 states after the signing of the Endangered Species Act in 1973,
