The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has highlighted the recovery of the bald eagle as one of the most prominent wildlife success stories in the lower 48 states.
Communities stepped up. We chose to protect something that represents all of us. And it worked. Today, there are more than 71,000 nesting pairs across the lower 48 states. That’s not just a wildlife success story. That’s a values story. #Freedom250 pic.twitter.com/BAE0lWqUcT
— U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (@USFWS) April 23, 2026
Once on the brink of disappearance in the contiguous United States, the national symbol now numbers an estimated 316,700 individuals, including approximately 71,467 breeding pairs, according to the agency’s 2020 population update based on 2018-2019 surveys, per the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
The bald eagle population in the lower 48 states has quadrupled since the 2009 estimate of about 72,434 individuals. This rebound follows decades of coordinated protections after the species reached a low of 417 known nesting pairs in 1963.
Bald eagles, the only eagle species unique to North America, faced steep declines in the mid-20th century due to hunting, habitat loss, and the widespread use of the pesticide DDT, which caused thin eggshells and reproductive failure, reported the U.S. Department of the Interior. By the 1950s and early 1960s, fewer than 500 breeding pairs remained in the lower 48 states. The species was listed as endangered in most of the lower 48 under the Endangered Species Act in 1978, following earlier protections.
The 1972 ban on DDT, combined with habitat safeguards and public conservation efforts, supported the turnaround. Populations began increasing at an average rate of nearly 8% per year in some periods after listing. In 1995, the status of previously endangered populations was downgraded to threatened. The bald eagle was delisted in 2007 due to its recovery across the lower 48 states.
The most recent comprehensive USFWS estimate placed the lower 48 population at 316,700 bald eagles, including 71,467 breeding pairs. This figure reflects data collected primarily in 2018 and 2019 and shows continued growth from the 2009 baseline. Individual state counts vary, with strongholds in states such as Minnesota, Florida, and Wisconsin.
USFWS officials have described the recovery as a major conservation achievement. In a 2021 statement accompanying the population update, agency scientists from the Migratory Bird Program noted the rapid increase tied to protections and the DDT ban. The bald eagle remains protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act following delisting.
Bald eagles require large trees near water for nesting and feed primarily on fish, waterfowl, and carrion. Their presence indicates healthy aquatic ecosystems. Post-recovery, sightings have become more common across the country, including in urban and suburban areas near rivers and lakes.
The species’ comeback stands in contrast to broader declines in some other North American bird populations. Conservation partners, including state wildlife agencies and nonprofit organizations, continue monitoring and habitat work to sustain the gains. No new nationwide population survey has superseded the 2020 USFWS update as of early 2026.
The bald eagle almost disappeared from the lower 48.
Now it’s one of the greatest wildlife comebacks in American history.
America's 250th birthday hits different when you remember that. pic.twitter.com/q48fLsbNRX
— U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (@USFWS) April 23, 2026
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, the bald eagle’s trajectory from near-disappearance in the lower 48 to widespread recovery underscores the long-term results of federal and state actions on pesticides, habitat, and legal protections.
