Maryland Wildlife - Bald Eagles

On April 5, 2010 the bald eagle was removed from Maryland’s list of threatened and endangered species. This is a great success story. The bald eagle was also removed from the federal endangered species list in August 2007. Removal from these official lists is a result of the tremendous recovery of this former endangered species. The bald eagle population is now fully recovered. Bald eagles are regularly seen throughout Maryland, especially near the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers.

The bald eagle in Maryland increased significantly since this species was first listed as endangered in 1973. Annual nesting surveys conducted by the Department of Natural Resources from 1977 through 2004 documented a nearly ten-fold increase in the number of nesting pairs. In 1977, only 44 pairs of nesting bald eagles occurred in Maryland. By 2004, there were 390 documented breeding pairs. It is now estimated that over 500 nesting pairs of bald eagles occur in Maryland annually. There is now at least one nesting pair in every county. The number of young produced is sufficient to maintain the population. Similar population trends have been documented for wintering bald eagles in Maryland.

The bald eagle continues to receive federal protection under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. National guidelines for nest site protection have been adopted by the federal government and will apply to Maryland’s nest sites.