The early morning sun highlights the wings of an adult bald eagle visiting Eighty Acres. In 1963 the bald eagle was on the Endangered Species list with fewer than 500 nesting pairs in the 48 contiguous states. Since the 1972 banning of the pesticide DDT, the bald eagle population has made a remarkable comeback. Today the US Park Service estimates the population to be over 10,000 pairs of nesting eagles in these states. A great comeback for this magnificent bird.