Once dwindling due to insecticide use and other environmental harms, the birds have made a significant come-back.

Bald eagles and ospreys were removed from the state Endangered Species List after years of recovery efforts, the DEP commissioner announced Monday.

The state was able to delist the species because their reproductive rate over multiple years reached sustainable levels.

There is a rescued bald eagle who lives at the Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, New Jersey, named “Freedom.” His name mirrors the principle our nation holds most dear. Now, his name can take on another meaning: freedom from being an endangered species.