DDT prevented female eagles from releasing enough calcium to form strong egg shells. Many eggs broke under the weight of incubating parents. In 1972, DDT was banned. In 1973, the bald eagle was listed as endangered. Conservation measures and the DDT ban helped many eagle populations rebound.
Eagles sometimes snatch ospreys' fish in mid-air acts of piracy.
This large, mud-colored turtle lurks in freshwater wetlands, ambushing fish, ducklings, and other small animals. It also eats aquatic plants. By saving bald eagle habitat, we protect these and many other animals. Although unique to North America, the bald eagle's closest relatives live in other parts of the world. The National Zoo's male bald eagle, which lives in the enclosure adjacent to the Wetlands Exhibit, was born in a German zoo of Canadian parents.