Bald eagles have made a soaring comeback at the Quabbin Reservoir and well beyond, making the national symbol a frequent and welcome sight to Central Massachusetts residents.

“They’re so majestic, so beautiful,” said Lisa Ouimette, who regularly views and often photographs the eagles during her frequent hikes and drives around the reservoir. Ouimette’s photographs accompany this article.

Whatever challenges the day may bring, the Ware resident notes, “you go out in the woods and you see these beautiful animals and it takes the stress right away.’’

The bald eagle is native to Massachusetts, but for many years the state’s skies were virtually empty of the national symbol.

 By the early 1900s, breeding bald eagles had vanished from the landscape. The birds fell victim to intentional killing, habitat loss and pollutants such as DDT.  

A landmark ruling by the Environmental Protection Agency changed everything.

In 1972, the agency banned the use of DDT in the United States. The end of the pollutant marked the beginning of an effort to return bald eagles to Massachusetts.

The work to return a permanent population to Massachusetts began in 1982 after eagles had been discovered wintering in the Quabbin Reservoir area.

This inspired biologists to try to create a more permanent population by transferring chicks from other areas and using a process called “hacking’’ in hopes the birds would view the area as home.

From 1982 through 1988, young eaglets were transported from wild nests, mostly from Canada, and were raised in cages overlooking the reservoir. Biologists fed the youngsters from behind a blind so the birds would not see them and become imprinted on humans.

Once the birds fledged, the cage doors were opened and the young eagles were free to fly. Forty-one chicks successfully matured and were released.

The hope was that once the birds grew to maturity at about five years old they would choose the Quabbin as their home and nesting territory.

To the biologists’ delight, this is exactly what happened.

The first adult territorial pair resulting from these releases was discovered at Quabbin Reservoir in 1987, the first housekeeping nest was discovered the following year, and in 1989, two separate pairs successfully fledged a total of three chicks.

On average, the Quabbin is home to eight nests, each with one to three chicks, said Maria Beiter-Tucker, interpretive services supervisor for the Quabbin Reservoir Ware region.

“It’s a wonderful success story,’’ she said.

The birds are an impressive sight. One of North America’s largest birds of prey, bald eagles weigh eight to 14 pounds with a wingspan of about five to eight feet. Unlike many animals, the females tend to be larger than males. 

Their size requires a large and carefully constructed nest. A mated pair of bald eagles will build a large nest during December–February. The nest is constructed with large sticks and lined with sprigs of pine, grasses, and other soft materials.

The male eagle collects the nest material and delivers it to his mate, who is responsible for most of the actual nest construction. Once the nest site is chosen, the mated pair will usually return every year to the same site and add to the existing structure.

Nests are located in hardwoods or conifers from 30 to 120 feet above the ground and may measure up to 12 feet high and 8.5 feet wide. The nests weigh hundreds of pounds.

The eagles tend to choose trees for nesting that are relatively large and taller than their surroundings. They will ideally select one that shelters their young from the elements while still allowing adequate access to the nearest body of water.

The bald eagles primarily dine on fish, although they will also eat waterfowl, small mammals and reptiles. 

All of this makes the Quabbin an ideal habitat for the eagles. People often visit the reservoir to view the birds, Beiter-Tucker said. She recommends areas near the Windsor Dam in Belchertown and the Enfield lookout as two good viewing spots.

But residents do not need to visit the Quabbin to catch a look at the birds.

Many bodies of water in Central Massachusetts serve as homes to territorial eagles. MassWildlife recognizes about 100 active bald eagle territories, but the actual amount is higher, according to information provided by the state agency.

The eagle population continues to grow and expand in range, even into places that had not been anticipated, Beiter-Tucker said. For instance, a nest has been observed in Worcester, not far from WPI, she noted. As a result of their wide range, “many children in the region have seen eagles in flight.’’

Such sightings represent the ultimate goal of the reintroduction of the bald eagle into Massachusetts more than 40 years ago.

“Bald eagles are flag bearers of how humans can positively impact endangered animals,’’ Beiter-Tucker said. “They’re really beautiful animals.’’