Bald eagles are born with brown head feathers which turn white after 5 years leading to the misleading term “Bald Eagle”. Widespread shooting, loss of habitat and DDT causing thin shells decimated America’s symbol. By 1963 there were only 417 Bald Eagle nesting pairs in the lower United States. In 1972 the Environmental Protection Agency banned the use of DDT mostly in response to Rachael Carson’s book, Silent Spring. In 1978 the Bald Eagle was listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act.
What followed was a massive comeback of the Bald Eagle. In 2007 there were 9,789 Bald Eagle nesting pairs and the Bald Eagle was delisted as an endangered species. Bald Eagles are still protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Both laws prohibit killing, selling, or otherwise harming eagles, their nests or eggs. Bald Eagles can often be seen while on the Tualatin River.
