"The bald eagle population, once so decimated by the pesticide DDT that only a single pair nested in New Jersey, is on the rebound," reports The Record.

The statewide population now numbers 156 nesting pairs — up from 128 last year — thanks to efforts by the federal government and several generations of conservationists.

According to a Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey bald eagle report, Twenty-five new eagle pairs were found in 2014, eleven in the south, three in central and eleven in northern NJ.

79 percent of the known nests produced 201 new fledglings.

"The state's eagle population would not be thriving without the efforts of the dedicated eagle volunteers who observe nests, report sightings, and help protect critical habitat," said Larissa Smith and Kathleen E. Clark, who prepared the report.

(READ the story in The Record)

Photo credit: Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey