Bald Eagle, The National Bird of the United States of America

Revival of Bald Eagle

Context (IE): The national bird of the US, the bald eagle, has returned from the brink of extinction.
DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane), used to kill malaria-carrying mosquitos and agricultural pests, had a catastrophic impact on the bald eagle population.
Due to the consumption of DDT-contaminated fish, female eagles laid extremely thin-shelled eggs, leading to nesting failures.
With the help of captive breeding programmes and strict habitat protections, the USA has now successfully revived the bald eagle population.

Bald eagle is not actually bald. It is named so because of its white-feathered head.
Distribution: It is the only eagle solely native to North America.
Habitat: It is a sea eagle (fish-eating eagle), and so it commonly occurs inland along rivers and lakes.
It builds its nest in isolated trees or rocks located within easy flight of water. Both parents share in the incubation and feeding of the young.
Threats: Intense hunting, unintentional poisonings (use of DDT and lead shot), habitat destruction, and loss of great herds of bison (a seasonally important food source).
Conservation status:
- IUCN Red List: Least Concern
- CITES: Appendix II