The eagle is any of several large, soaring birds of prey belonging to the hawk family Accipitridae, noted for their size, strength, and powers of flight and vision: formerly common in America, the widespread use of pesticides (DDT in particular), environmental pollution, and hunting left eagles mostly confined to Alaska and a few isolated populations. Conservation measures have seen eagle populations rebounding for decades; one such species, the bald eagle, was removed from the U.S. federal government's list of endangered species in July of 1995.
