SUN-GAZETTE GRAPHIC/PA GAME COMMISSION PHOTOS Bald Eagles are making a comeback in the Keystone State.

The once-endangered bald eagle, the bird that symbolizes America, is making great strides in its comeback after 25 years of conservation efforts, state Game Commission biologists say. The bald eagle has expanded its range in the state and is known to be nesting in at least 47 of the state’s 67 counties, the commission announced this week. In 1983, only three nests were known to exist in the entire state. This year’s nest count is expected to exceed 140, up from the estimated 120 nests in 42 counties in June 2007. The bird, still safeguarded by federal law, is listed as threatened in Pennsylvania, but Doug Gross, ornithologist for the Game Commission, said it is making great strides. “What’s happening here is also happening in other states,” Gross said. “Bald eagles are thriving in Ohio, New York and in Maryland, where more than 400 pairs have been documented.” In northcentral counties of this state, he said, the eagles are also doing quite well.