Bald Eagle
(go back to The Animals)The white head of the bald eagle, which from a distance appears featherless, is where it got its name. Adopted as the national emblem of the United States in 1782, it now appears on every dollar bill and is the country’s most famous bird. The main diet of the bald eagle is fish but also rodents, small mammals, and carrion, often scavenging from the kill of other animals. Bald eagles mate for life and will construct an enormous stick nest high above the ground, caring for usually only two eggs just once a year. Often only one chick will survive. As the chicks grow they learn to tear up their own food and the parents leave them for longer periods, until the end of summer when their parents force them to leave for good. The bald eagle was once a common sight throughout the US and Canada but it is now in grave danger. The build up of pesticides in its body from eating contaminated fish and other prey has caused sterility or death in eagles, contributing to its decline. Although it is protected in the US, it is still in danger from losing habitat that is drained for development.
Bald Eagle - Fast Facts
Type: BirdDiet: Carnivore
Average lifespan in the wild: Up to 28 years
Size: Body, 34 to 43 in (86 to 109 cm); Wingspan, 6 to 8 ft (1.8 to 2.4 m)
Weight: 6.5 to 14 lbs (3 to 6.5 kg)
Did you know? The largest bald eagle nest on record was 9.5 feet (3 meters) wide and 20 feet (6 meters) high. It weighed more than two tons.
Status: Moved to STABLE from ENDANGERED in 2007!
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