ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Bald eagles, long on the rise in Maryland, are multiplying so successfully that the population of nesting couples rose 10 percent over the past year, the state Department of Natural Resources reports.

State scientists estimate Maryland is home to 383 pairs of eagles, up from last year's record of 339 pairs. Monitoring nesting couples is critical, because it was their reproductive failure that placed them on the endangered list in 1973, said Glenn Therres, DNR's principal eagle biologist.

There likely are about 2,000 eagles living in Maryland, most of which stick close to the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, Therres said. That's up from 200 in 1977, a low point for the state's eagle population.

"They've made a tremendous recovery in the state and Chesapeake Bay area," Therres said. "They're adapting more and more each year to situations that 20 years ago we would not have thought eagles would be able to handle."

Bald Eagles Thrive in Maryland