Bald eagles are depicted as a thriving native species on much early American furniture, exemplified by this bookcase ornament. But in the two hundred-plus years since this work was made, human actions, from suburban expansion to the use of chemical pesticides like DDT, decimated the eagle population. By 1963, there were only 417 known mating pairs in the United States. With the banning of DDT in 1972 and the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973, bald eagle food sources were restored and their habitats protected. In 2021, the Department of the Interior counted 71,400 pairs. A preservation success story, bald eagles are no longer considered an endangered species. Though it has been a recognizable symbol of American strength since the country’s founding, the bald eagle was not officially recognized by the U.S. government as the national bird until 2024.