The eagles find themselves in an environmental updraft of sorts since the early 2000s, when the federal government took the thriving birds off its endangered species list with more states following suit. Culturally, too, the animals are soaring.

The bald eagle, once teetering on the brink of extinction, has made a significant comeback in the United States. Long a symbol of national pride, the raptor is experiencing a resurgence both in population and cultural significance.

By David Shepardson and Jonathan Allen WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Officials have positively identified 55 of the 67 people killed in Wednesday's midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a military helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington,