On June 20, 1782, the Second Continental Congress selected the bald eagle as the national symbol. The bald eagle has since gone through trying times before recovering to healthy and sustainable population levels. In December 2024, President Biden officially designated the bald eagle as the national bird
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Killings, habitat loss, lead poisoning and the use of pesticides like DDT decimated America’s bald eagle population. The bald eagle first received protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. Additional protections were added under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940, the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966 and the Endangered Species list in 1978.
Many organizations and individuals came together to recover the bald eagle in Minnesota, including The Raptor Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, the University of Minnesota and the Nongame Wildlife Program.
The Raptor Center treated sick and injured bald eagles. Collaborative research identified the deadly effect of lead poisoning in bald eagles, leading to the ban in lead shot for waterfowl, which bald eagles consume. The Nongame Wildlife Program worked with The Raptor Center, the DNR’s Enforcement Division and the Minnesota Trappers Association to ban open bait trap sets for predator trapping, reducing the loss of bald eagles due to accidental trapping.
As one of the first restoration efforts of the Nongame Wildlife Program, the Minnesota DNR captured four eagle chicks in northern Minnesota for transport and release in other states each year. Only one chick was taken from each of the four nests, leaving one or two chicks for the parents to raise. In this way, Minnesota aided in the restoration of bald eagles in New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas and Georgia.
Bald eagles were removed from the U.S. federal endangered species list in 2007 and state list in 2013.
The recovery of the bald eagle to a healthy, sustainable population level was identified as a high priority conservation goal by public agencies, universities, conservation groups and private citizens of Minnesota. Because of this and the dramatic recovery of their population, Governor Tim Pawlenty proclaimed August 31, 2007 Bald Eagle Recovery Day in Minnesota.
The next time you see an eagle, remember the team effort that brought them back and remember you can help recover at-risk wildlife by donating to the Nongame Wildlife Program.