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There were many decades in which the U.S. national symbol was believed to be headed for extinction, but the species has since made a remarkable comeback. In 1940 the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act was instituted to keep the eagles from hunters. Once the threat from hunting was gone, the species found its numbers declining further by the ingestion of DDT. The bald eagle was included on the endangered species list in 1973, and the species hit a low point in 1963 with only 417 breeding pairs.

Instead of extinction, the bald eagle has dramatically reversed its declining numbers. The bald eagle is no longer listed as an endangered species thanks to the nearly 10,000 pairs that roam the American skies. But, experts will not leave the bald eagle vulnerable to decline again. Bald eagles will be tracked and their numbers monitored for the next five years. If at any time the eagle's numbers begin to decline, there is the possibility of the animal being relisted on the endangered species list for continuing protection.

Bald eagles still enjoy legal protection from the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, even if they are no longer endangered. In addition, the eagles also benefit from the Migratory Bird Treaty Act enacted in 1918. The act was passed to protect migratory birds, such as the bald eagle, in other countries that share birds with the U.S. due to migration. This act provides protection in Canada and Mexico for the eagles that migrate across the border and makes it illegal for their nest and eggs, and even their feathers, to be bought or sold.

Since DDT was banned in 1972, bald eagles have enjoyed further protection from decline. The toxic chemical penetrated the entire food chain, resulting in the deaths of eagles as well as many other bird species. Waterways became contaminated with the chemical, which then spread to the eagles. Eagles then caught the contaminated fish living in these waters. DDT kept bald eagles from being able to create eggshells with enough calcium to keep them strong enough to support the embryos. Bald eagle eggs from contaminated mothers were so thin that the mothers often broke the shells during the incubation period. With the threat of DDT over, bald eagles have the opportunity to reproduce and keep their numbers growing.