In 1782 the bald eagle was chosen to represent the United States and has remained its national bird ever since. The bald eagle is native to North America, making it a new sight for the Europeans. The bald eagle is native to North America, making it a new sight for the Europeans. 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.'

North America is the home of only one variety of 'sea eagle'- the bald eagle. The bald eagle has a striking appearance, with its dark brown feathers set off by the stark white feathers of its tail and head. Many items, such as U.S. coins, flags, seals, and even buildings, have used the bald eagle's image as a symbol of the nation.

The bald eagle is a fierce bird of prey, along with other raptors, such as hawks, vultures, owls, and falcons. Bald eagles live mainly on a diet of waterfowl and fish, but may also eat animals such as snakes, rodents, birds, and rabbits, and when these live specimens are not available they may also eat carrion. The enormous adult bald eagle, with wingspans up to 7.5 feet, weighing up to 16 pounds, and with a length of up to 32 pounds, is a worthy adversary for any animal. In Alaska, the largest eagles can be found, while the smaller varieties live in Florida. Wherever the bald eagle lives, the animals in the region scatter when the bird begins to land.

An area 2 to 15 miles square is the area needed for a pair of bald eagles to hunt in. A pair of bald eagles has only one nest, which they fiercely guard. Bald eagles living along the Indian River lagoon located on the Central Florida coast have been known to go after Ospreys who have themselves caught a meal. The eagle will then get to eat the Osprey's catch, as the Osprey drops its squirming prey to escape the eagle.

These birds of prey leave the aggression to hunting and are fiercely loyal to their families. The bald eagle stays with its mate for life, though few other birds follow this behavior. Most birds live only a few years, but the bald eagle in the wild can live to be as old as 25. The bald eagle lives all over the North American continent, from Alaska nd Canada, across the continental U.S., and into Mexico.

Bald eagles travel far each year in search of cooler weather in the hot summer months, then go back to the area where they hatched, usually mating within a few hundred miles of the area. When spring arrives, bald eagles of breeding age can lay between one and three eggs, which hatch in around 35 days. The baby eagles live in the nest during the first three months, and then learn to fly for a month before leaving and beginning their own lives. 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.

Were you aware that the United States Congress attempted to save the species by passing the Bald Eagle Protection Act in 1940? 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.

Toxic chemicals in the environment, including DDT and commercial and residential pesticides, led to a mass die-off of the bald eagle. New laws and reintroduction programs for the bald eagle have given the birds a chance to survive. In those days, many people thought it might be too late to save the bald eagle as in neared 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 bald eagle was on most state's endangered species lists until the early 1990s, when the increasing numbers of the bird enabled its removal from the lists.

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.

Watching these magnificent birds is a pleasure. The bald eagle takes off with strides that are powerful and purposeful. The eagle soars as if in slow motion. The determined eagle keeps to its determined path, its prize kept in sight. 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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