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Many people don't know that the bald eagle has been the symbol of the United States and the nation's national bird since 1782. The bald eagle is native to North America, making it a new sight for the Europeans. No European has ever seen a bald eagle, as they were native only to North America. The bald eagle is still referred to as a sea eagle, and the scientific name of the bird is Haliaetus leucocephalus, which in Greek and Latin means 'sea eagle with a white head.'
The bald eagle is the only 'sea eagle' that is a native of North America. There is no mistaking the bald eagle, with its deep brown feathers and contrasting white head and tail. Buildings and official seals have been emblazoned with the image of the bald eagle, as well as many U.S. coins and flags.
Bald eagles are fierce and powerful birds of prey as are all raptors, which include the hawks, falcons, eagles, vultures, and owls. The bald eagle lives on a diet of live prey, such as waterfowl and fish, as well as rodents, snakes, rabbits, and birds, but they will eat carrion when there is no live prey to be eaten.
Bald eagles are enormous and intimidating birds, with adults growing to 32 inches in length, with wingspans to 7 feet, and weighing up to 16 pounds.
In Alaska, the largest eagles can be found, while the smaller varieties live in Florida. The bald eagle is known to other animals as a fierce predator in whatever region it is found.
Bald eagles require a very large hunting ground, an area of 2 to 15 square miles per hunting pair. A pair of bald eagles has only one nest, which they fiercely guard. On the eastern cost of Central Florida, the bald eagle may chase an Osprey along the Indian River lagoon in order to steal its catch. The eagle will then get to eat the Osprey's catch, as the Osprey drops its squirming prey to escape the eagle.
These powerful birds of prey retain a strong instinct toward family loyalty. The bald eagle stays with its mate for life, though few other birds follow this behavior. Though most birds live a much shorter time, the bald eagle can live for as many as 25 years. The bald eagle lives all over the North American continent, from Alaska nd Canada, across the continental U.S., and into Mexico.
The birds are frequent long-distance travelers, flying long distances north in the summer, but will mate within a few hundred miles of the place they were hatched. When spring arrives, bald eagles of breeding age can lay between one and three eggs, which hatch in around 35 days. It takes about three months for the newly hatched baby eagles to begin flying, and another month before they fly away and live on their own. Almost 70% of young eagles will survive their first year of life, adapting to their environment despite the dangers of food shortages, bad weather, illnesses and toxic chemicals.
Did you know that to save the species in 1940 the United States Congress passed the Bald Eagle Protection Act? This law made it illegal for people to disturb or bother the birds. This also included taking bald eagles for reasons such as selling, trading, or transporting them, and also included their eggs and nests. Taking an eagle included shooting at the birds, wounding them, trapping, capturing, disturbing them, or killing them in any manner.
Large numbers of bald eagles died because of DTT, the overuse of pesticides, and other toxic chemicals. New laws and reintroduction programs for the bald eagle have given the birds a chance to survive. It was believes at the time that the species might have no road back from extinction.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 allowed species that were small in numbers to be classified as threatened, and species with very low populations to be classified as endangered. The dramatic return of the bald eagle population removed it from most endangered species lists in the early 1990s.
The bald eagle was reclassified by Congress as threatened on August 11, 1995, after its numbers grew from 500 pairs in 1963 to 5,000 pairs in 1994. Because the number of bald eagles has increased, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has made pans for removing the bird from the list of endangered species.
To watch these birds is to witness their power and beauty. The long strides of the bald eagle as it launches leads into the soaring, slow motion movement of the bird in flight. The eagle remains determined, keeping a fixed eye on its prize. The efforts made to revive the species have been successful, leaving a majestic presence in the skies. These beautiful animals should certainly be seen in person.
OodlesOnBaldEagles.com offers information on bald eagles and provides bald eagle shopping with products such as the American Eagle Clock And Calendar.
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