The Bald Eagle

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The Bald Eagle is a large bird measuring 28 to 38 inches in length and has a wingspan of 66 to 88 inches. The back, chest and wings are blackish-brown with a white head and tail. Its feet yellow feet have long talons and its beak is hooked. Its tail is long and wedge-shaped. The Bald Eagles residing in northern habitats are significantly larger than their southern brethren, and females are 25 percent larger than their male counterparts.

The juveniles are predominantly brown with traces of white in their plumage. The distinctive coloring of the adult Bald Eagle develops gradually over a 5 year period.

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The Bald Eagle is the only Eagle unique to North America. They are found throughout the continent, but the majority of the Bald Eagles are found in Alaska and along the western coast of Canada. Their preferred habitats are near seacoasts, large lakes, rivers, and other large bodies of open water. Their habitat usually includes mature stands of coniferous or hardwood trees for nesting, perching, and roosting.

Northern Bald Eagles are migratory while its southern counterparts remain in their breeding territory all year.

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The Bald Eagle reaches sexual maturity around 4 to 5 years of age. It was once thought that Bald Eagles mate for life, but it is now known that if one member of the pair dies, the remaining member will find another mate. If a pair repeatedly fails to produce young, they may split and look for new mates.

The mating ritual consists of elaborate calls and a variety of aerobatic flight displays. The flight display includes chases, cartwheels, and roller-coaster swoops. At some point they will lock talons and freefall, separating just before hitting the ground.

The pair will build their nest in the upper branches of a large tree. If there are no trees available, they will build it on a cliff. The nest is made of sticks and branches measuring 5 to 6 feet across and over 3 feet deep. The same nest will be used from one breeding season to the nest. Every year the pair adds more sticks and branches to the nest making it deeper and wider.

The nests are lined with feathers, grasses and leaves. The female will lay 1 to 3 eggs, 3 to 4 days apart. They are incubated and protected around the clock (mostly by the female) for 35 days. The nestlings are covered with gray down when they hatch. They begin sprouting feathers at 4 to 5 weeks. The female will brood the nestlings continuously at first and then sporadically as they get older.

The male brings most of the food to the nest, feeding the larger nestling first. In a bid for a larger share of the kill, the larger nestling often kills its younger sibling. By 6 to 7 weeks the hatchlings are feeding themselves. They fledge between 78 and 80 days after hatching.

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Bald Eagles feed mainly on fish, but will eat carrion, especially in the winter, if necessary. They will raid campsites and picnic grounds, as well as dig through garbage dumps. They prey on rabbits, raccoons, sea otters, fawns, ducks, geese, and grebes. They are opportunistic eaters and lazy hunters. They will readily snatch the prey from Osprey rather than hunt on its own.

The Bald Eagle is a powerful flier. It soars on the thermal convection currents reaching speeds of 35 to 44 mph. The Bald Eagles that migrate usually do so during the day to better use the convection currents.

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The cry we hear on film so often attributed to the Bald Eagle is usually the call of the Red-tailed Hawk. The Bald Eagle's cry is squeaky shrill punctuated by grunts, not a bone-chilling scream.

Listen to the call of the Bald Eagle: Sound Byte: Bald Eagle, National Park Service

The American Bald Eagle was taken off the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants list on June 28, 2007, but t is still protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

1. The Bald Eagle builds the largest nest of any North American bird. They return to the same nest each year, fortifying it before they use it again. The fortifications add height and breadth. A large nest to begin with, after a few years, it takes on gigantic proportions.
2. The Bald Eagle is our national bird. It is one of the country's most recognized symbols. It appears on official seals, including the Seal of the President of the United States.
3. When the Bald Eagle was chosen as our national emblem, Benjamin Franklin disapproved. He felt that a bird too lazy to fish for himself did not represent the spirit of the newly formed United States. Added to that, the Bald Eagle was a 'rank coward'. Rather than stand its ground, a much smaller bird can drive it from its perch.
4. For some Native American tribes Eagles are considered spiritual messengers between the gods and humans, and are considered sacred.
5. The Bald Eagle can live up to 30 years in the wild but 15 to 20 years is the norm.

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