After the nationwide ban of DDT in 1972, bald eagle reproduction improved and populations began increasing. In 1981 about 1,300 pairs nested in the United States outside Alaska. The active protection of nesting habitat and release of hand-reared eagles aided the population increase. In 1993 at least 4,016 pairs of bald eagles nested in the contiguous United States, with an estimated additional 20,000-25,000 pairs in Alaska. Bald eagles nesting in Maine also have low reproductive success, probably because of environmental contaminants.
Habitat loss remains a threat in many areas.
Because population increases were not uniform throughout the range, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed downlisting this species from endangered to threatened in certain geographic areas. Many other factors could be involved in a population decline, however. There is no widespread standardized design for surveying goshawks during the breeding season. Status determination is complicated by the low density of nesting birds and fluctuations in breeding associated with cycles of prey abundance. It remains in Category 2, i.e., possibly appropriate to propose to list but available data are not conclusive for threatened or endangered status.