Did you know that the United States adopted the bald eagle as the national bird and symbol of the nation in 1782? Because the bald eagle is found only in North America, the European settlers had never seen one. The bald eagle is native to North America, making it a new sight for the Europeans. The bald eagle has the scientific name Haliaetus leucocephalus, meaning 'sea eagle with a white head' in Latin and Greek, and the birds are still known as sea eagles.

The bald eagle remains the only North American 'sea eagle.' The bald eagle is immediately obvious by its smooth, white head and white tail, contrasted by the deep brown feathers of its body. Buildings and official seals have been emblazoned with the image of the bald eagle, as well as many U.S. coins and flags.

These birds of prey are raptors, along with owls, hawks, vultures, and falcons. 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. The adult bald eagle has few natural enemies, especially considering their size of up to 16 pounds, wingspans of 7 feet, and a length of up to 32 inches. Alaska is home to the larger eagles, while the smaller ones make their homes in Florida. Even small bald eagles intimidate the other animals in the region, and they scatter whenever the mighty bird begins to land.

The area required for a pair of bald eagles to hunt in is large- anywhere from 2 to 15 square miles. A pair of bald eagles has only one nest, which they fiercely guard. Bald eagles have been observed in some instances, such as along the Indian River lagoon in Central Florida, chasing down Ospreys with fresh catches. The eagle will then get to eat the Osprey's catch, as the Osprey drops its squirming prey to escape the eagle.

Bald eagles have a strong loyalty for their families, though they are actually birds of prey. The bald eagle stays with its mate for life, though few other birds follow this behavior. Compared to the much shorter life spans of other birds, the bald eagle has a span of as many as 25 years. From Northern Mexico, all over the continental United States, and up into Alaska and Canada, the bald eagle resides in much of the continent.

Even though these great travelers fly long distances to summer in the cooler weather of the northern United States and Canada, when it comes time to mate, they generally retrace their paths and nest within just a hundred or two miles from where they were hatched. In the springtime, the bald eagle can lay one to three eggs, each hatching in about 35 days. It takes about three months for the babies to start flying, and after the fourth month, they fly away from the nest to strike out for themselves. The bald eagle, despite the dangers of disease, hunger, bad weather, and toxic chemicals, still adapt to their environments and live into their second year 70% of the time.

Did you know that to save the species in 1940 the United States Congress passed the Bald Eagle Protection Act? When this law passed, it became illegal to bother or disturb the birds. It also became illegal to take the birds, their nests, or their eggs for any purpose, such as selling, trading, owning, or exporting them. Take includes not just capturing or trapping the bald eagle, but also bothering them, shooting at them, and wounding or killing them.

Large numbers of bald eagles died because of DTT, the overuse of pesticides, and other toxic chemicals. Reintroduction programs, some federally funded and some private, as well as new laws have given the bald eagle a chance to return in numbers. It was believes at the time that the species might have no road back from extinction.

Animals with very low populations could be legally classified as threatened by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the species with the lowest numbers could be classified as being 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 observe the bald eagle is a pleasurable experience. 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 number of majestic bald eagles is steadily increasing all over North America. Take any opportunity to see these magnificent animals.

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