The Bald Eagle once ranged throughout every state in the Union except Hawaii. When America adopted the bird as the national symbol in 1782, as many as 100,000 nesting Bald Eagles lived in the continental United States, excluding Alaska. By 1963 only 417 nesting pairs were found in the lower 48 States. In the late 1800's the Bald Eagle was a common breeding bird along the States, but wintering population varied, as they do today, depending on the severity of the winter and availability of food.
In the 19th century, it gradually became obvious that the nesting populations were being seri…
