Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle has surged: up 124× on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a North American member of the Hawks, Eagles & Kites (Accipitridae). In this analysis it is grouped with the birds of prey.
- Size
- 17.5–39.5 in long (45–100 cm) — a medium to large raptor (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open country, woodlands, cliffs and wetlands, hunting from the air or a high perch.
- Diet
- Live prey — small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and large insects (carrion for vultures).
- Range
- Recorded on 1,388 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 48 states, most concentrated in the Eastern Tallgrass Prairie.
- Family
- Accipitridae · Birds of prey
Notable Bald Eagle Trends
No notable trend signals for Bald Eagle. See the full index history below.
Bald Eagle Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Bald Eagle is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.29 (95% range 0.24–0.35). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±14.7%, with 60% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.27 | 0.22 | 0.33 |
| 2026 | 0.28 | 0.22 | 0.33 |
| 2027 | 0.28 | 0.23 | 0.34 |
| 2028 | 0.29 | 0.23 | 0.34 |
| 2029 | 0.29 | 0.24 | 0.35 |
Where the Bald Eagle Is Detected
BBS routes recording Bald Eagle, sized by most recent count.
Bald Eagle Population Trend by State
| Alabama | +150% | 1999 | 23 |
| Alaska | -76% | 1973 | 92 |
| Arizona | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| Arkansas | +137% | 2009 | 14 |
| California | +895% | 1975 | 58 |
| Colorado | +40% | 1984 | 36 |
| Connecticut | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Delaware | 34× | 1997 | 12 |
| Florida | +506% | 1970 | 74 |
| Georgia | +7% | 1997 | 17 |
| Idaho | +8% | 1984 | 26 |
| Illinois | 18× | 2002 | 49 |
| Indiana | +247% | 2013 | 29 |
| Iowa | +306% | 2002 | 17 |
| Kansas | +133% | 2002 | 13 |
| Kentucky | +133% | 2008 | 11 |
| Louisiana | -10% | 2006 | 8 |
| Maine | +575% | 1997 | 23 |
| Maryland | 60× | 1968 | 49 |
| Massachusetts | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Michigan | +406% | 1984 | 46 |
| Minnesota | 16× | 1982 | 70 |
| Mississippi | insufficient data | n/a | 11 |
| Missouri | +528% | 2008 | 43 |
| Montana | +752% | 1984 | 59 |
| Nebraska | +394% | 2001 | 19 |
| Nevada | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| New Hampshire | +66% | 1998 | 5 |
| New Jersey | +167% | 2005 | 13 |
| New Mexico | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| New York | +712% | 2001 | 39 |
| North Carolina | +730% | 2000 | 32 |
| North Dakota | +402% | 2006 | 23 |
| Ohio | +734% | 1996 | 29 |
| Oklahoma | insufficient data | n/a | 7 |
| Oregon | +836% | 1975 | 61 |
| Pennsylvania | +618% | 1983 | 61 |
| South Carolina | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| South Dakota | +664% | 2009 | 18 |
| Tennessee | +470% | 2000 | 10 |
| Texas | -9% | 2008 | 14 |
| Utah | insufficient data | n/a | 9 |
| Vermont | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Virginia | +516% | 1988 | 32 |
| Washington | +747% | 1976 | 64 |
| West Virginia | -17% | 2010 | 15 |
| Wisconsin | 17× | 1979 | 87 |
| Wyoming | +711% | 1987 | 50 |
Bald Eagle Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| BCR 2 | +62% | 1985 | 13 |
| BCR 4 | +31% | 1983 | 46 |
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | +410% | 1973 | 97 |
| Great Basin | +458% | 1975 | 82 |
| Northern Rockies | +853% | 1983 | 107 |
| Prairie Potholes | +974% | 1996 | 60 |
| Boreal Hardwood Transition | +765% | 1977 | 88 |
| Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain | +556% | 2000 | 31 |
| Atlantic Northern Forest | +469% | 1996 | 37 |
| Sierra Nevada | +126% | 2003 | 9 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | +75% | 1991 | 36 |
| Badlands and Prairies | +366% | 1984 | 41 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | -27% | 2002 | 14 |
| Central Mixed Grass Prairie | +384% | 2004 | 18 |
| Eastern Tallgrass Prairie | 28× | 1999 | 112 |
| Prairie Hardwood Transition | 44× | 1983 | 99 |
| Central Hardwoods | +966% | 2000 | 61 |
| West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas | +122% | 2007 | 13 |
| Mississippi Alluvial Valley | +526% | 2000 | 27 |
| Southeastern Coastal Plain | +611% | 1987 | 82 |
| Appalachian Mountains | 12× | 1982 | 109 |
| Piedmont | +270% | 1990 | 43 |
| New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast | 68× | 1968 | 68 |
| Peninsular Florida | +286% | 1970 | 56 |
| Coastal California | +567% | 2006 | 23 |
Bald Eagle Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 12281% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.