A mature bald eagle flying in the snow with a grey fish in its talons.
Eagle Act Rule Revision

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has published revisions to the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act regulations regarding eagle take permitting. Click the link below for more information.

Eagle ACT Rule Revision

Existing Applicants

General Permit Conditions

Forty years ago, our national symbol, the bald eagle, was in danger of extinction throughout most of its range. Habitat destruction and degradation, illegal shooting, and the contamination of its food source, largely as a consequence of DDT, decimated the eagle population. Habitat protection afforded by the Endangered Species Act, the federal government’s banning of DDT, and conservation actions taken by the American public have helped bald eagles make a remarkable recovery. Bald eagles were removed from the endangered species list in August 2007 because their populations recovered sufficiently, and their population has continued to grow in the years since. Bald eagles are a fantastic conservation success story, a pride of the American people.

The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act continue to provide protections not only for bald eagles, but golden eagles, too. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works to assure the preservation of both species of eagles.

What We Do

Our Services

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works to manage and conserve both bald eagle and golden eagle populations.  We provide guidance on living and working around eagles, updates on the status of the populations of bald and golden eagles, and permits for the take, possession, or transportation of eagles and their parts, nests, and eggs.

Living around Eagles

Working around Eagles

Eagle Permits

Our Laws and Regulations

Both bald eagles and golden eagles are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act also has regulations for permitting take, possession, and transportation of bald eagles or golden eagles (50 CFR 22).  These regulations allow for permitting of "the taking, possession, and transportation within the United States of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) and their parts, nests, and eggs for scientific, educational, and depredation control purposes; for the religious purposes of American Indian tribes; and to protect other interests in a particular locality" as well as governing "the transportation into or out of the United States of bald and golden eagle parts for scientific, educational, and Indian religious purposes."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering revisions to the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act regulations regarding incidental eagle take permitting.

Info on Eagle Act Regulation Revisions

Latest Stories and Topics

Our Library

This is a collection of key documents the Service uses with our partners and stakeholders to manage bald and golden eagles and help everyone remain in compliance with the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
 

Bald eagle and golden eagle
Information about bald eagle and golden eagle biology, behaviors, and populations. Guidance and tools for conserving, managing, and monitoring eagles. Information on the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and it's regulations, as well as information on permits for eagle take, possession, and...

Projects and Research

Eagle Population Status

Understanding the populations of both bald eagles and golden eagles is the biological basis for the Service's regulatory management framework.

Our Species

Bald eagles and golden eagles are two of the largest bird species that call the United States home.  They have inspired people for millenia.