The Joy of Victory: Bald Eagles

Bald eagles, along with other birds or prey, have made an astounding comeback since the '60s: the age of DDT! In 1963, there were only 417 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states of the USA. DDT, used as an insecticide, accumulated through the food web and eventually made its way into the eagles. The poison caused the eagles to lay eggs with very thin shells, which resulted in a nesting failure being a common thing.

But throughout the '60s, scientists realized the threat of DDT. In 1972, the USA banned DDT's use. Ever since then, bald eagle populations have been climbing steadily—the magnificent birds were taken off the Endangered and Threatened Species List in 1999!

What a victory! The hard work of the scientists and conservationists of the '60s and '70s paid off. Now places like Berry College in Georgia are graced by the presence of a nesting pair of bald eagles and their many beautiful chicks. Check out Berry College's live camera featuring literally a BIRD's-eye-view of the happy couple's nest! It's quite amazing---just a minute ago I saw both parents feeding their young chick.



[Click here to be directed to Berry College's Eagle Cam page]

Victories like the bald eagle's show us that anything is possible if we care, try, and believe in success!