Wildlife officials say bald eagle numbers have risen in the state over the past decade — a good sign considering the species was once listed as threatened.

The number of nests has increased from 29 in 2002 to nearly 90 today.

The bird was classified as an endangered species in 1967, after hunting and the pesticide DDT had taken a toll on its population. The bald eagle was moved to the list of threatened species in 1995. It was removed from that list in 2007.

Nick Winstead, ornithologist with the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, says the museum started tracking eagle nests in the 1970s.