Perched in a cottonwood above a Wyoming river, white head gleaming against the sky, the bald eagle is both the national bird and one of conservation's great success stories. Once poisoned nearly to oblivion, it now thrives across the state.

The eagle's recovery is a landmark achievement. Devastated in the twentieth century by the pesticide DDT, which thinned its eggshells, the bald eagle rebounded dramatically after the chemical was banned and the bird was protected. It has since been removed from the endangered species list, a symbol of what committed conservation can accomplish.

Wyoming provides excellent habitat, particularly along its rivers, lakes, and reservoirs where the eagles hunt for fish and waterfowl. They build enormous stick nests, returning to the same sites year after year and adding to them until the structures reach remarkable sizes. In winter, eagles concentrate along open water where fishing remains good.

Watching a bald eagle is never routine. Whether soaring on broad wings, plunging to snatch a fish, or perched in stoic surveillance of its domain, the bird commands attention. Its presence across Wyoming, common enough now that a river float may yield several sightings, is a quiet daily reminder that species pushed to the edge can, with effort and time, be brought back from it.