By the mid 1900's eagle numbers were perilously low throughout most of the lower 48 states. The use of the pesticide DDT was perhaps the most severe culprit in the decline of the eagle. Before it was banned in the early 1970's, DDT in the food chain caused a dramatic decline in the reproduction of eagles and other birds of prey. DDT was found to cause female birds to lay eggs with thin shells which were crushed by the weight of the adults trying to incubate them. Since DDT was banned in the United States, bald eagle populations in this country have generally been on the upswing.
Problems still persist for the bald eagle.
Habitat loss still threatens eagles in many areas, and pollution of our rivers and lakes can impact eagles which feed on contaminated fish. The inadvertent shooting of misidentified eagles as well as poaching continues to plague eagle populations. The future of the bald eagle in the continental United States will depend on the extent to which current problems can be reduced. West Virginia can now boast of more eagle nests than at any time in the past, and there is no reason to expect this trend not to continue if we protect this great bird and the habitats on which it depends. Franklin preferred the wild turkey.