Jorgensen said the number of breeding pairs has been increasing steadily since the first successful modern nesting near Valley in Douglas County in 1991.

Bald eagles bred historically in Nebraska, but were extirpated by the turn of the 20th Century. The actual number of active nests in Nebraska is probably greater than 50.

"A couple nests went unmonitored and there are probably a few nests that have not been discovered," Jorgensen said.

The recovery of the bald eagle is one of the great success stories of wildlife conservation.

Eagle numbers in North America dropped to dangerously low levels in the 1950s and 1960s due to DDT and other similar pesticides.

Bald eagles were listed as an endangered species in 1978. After receiving state and federal protection, and with the banning of DDT and other similar chemicals in 1972, bald eagle numbers increased.

There were an estimated 417 breeding pairs in the lower 48 states in 1963 and now it is estimated that there are just under 10,000 breeding pairs.

Increases in Nebraska have mirrored trends throughout the species' North American breeding range.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the bald eagle from the list of threatened and endangered species in June 2007. The bald eagle currently remains state- listed as "threatened," but increasing breeding numbers serve as an impetus for the Commission to evaluate their status within Nebraska's borders.

"Perhaps the only downside to the species recovery is the challenge that comes with monitoring more and more nests, Jorgensen said. "The increase continues at such a rate it is difficult to keep track and to find persons with the time to make observations."

Bald eagle nest monitoring is carried out by the Commission, other cooperating agencies, and volunteers.