Bald eagles are not only our national bird, but they are one of the prides of New York State (see some of the best places to spot them here). We weren't always so lucky. Bald eagles have made a huge comeback in New York. Thanks to the ban of chemicals like DDT, populations have increased across the country, and in states like New York, the species' status has been downgraded from "endangered" to "threatened". But recently, one eagle was threatened for an entirely different reason.