Ontario removes bald eagles from species-at-risk list

The provincial environment minister cites banning DDT and efforts to improve sustainability as reasons for raptor’s recovery

The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks has removed bald eagles from the provincial endangered species list. Environment Minister David Piccini announced the decision, made by the Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario, which determined that bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in the province should be listed as “not at risk” now rather than its previous status of “special concern.” Some reports had placed nest numbers as low as about two dozen in the 1990s, but bald eagles climbed to roughly 2,600 nests by 2022. The agency credits the banning of DDT and other environmental efforts for the species’ recovery.

Read more at the Toronto Star.

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Header Image: There are roughly 2,600 bald eagle nests in Ontario now, compared to about two dozen in the 1990s. Credit: Liam Quinn