Did you know that the United States adopted the bald eagle as the national bird and symbol of the nation in 1782? There were no bald eagles in Europe, as the bald eagle is found only in North America. They had never seen a bald eagle in Europe because the American bald Eagle is unique 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 only so-called 'sea eagle' in North America is the bald eagle. It's hard to mistake the bald eagle for any other type of bird, with its striking white head, its deep brown body and its stark white tail. The bald eagle's image has been used on many items over the years, including coins, flags, seals, and on buildings.

The powerful bald eagle is a type of raptor, as are hawks, vultures, falcons, and owls. The bald eagle eats mainly waterfowl, such as geese and ducks, and fish, but also may indulge in small birds, rodents, snakes, rabbits, and even carrion when live prey is not available 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. Florida is the home of the smaller bald eagles, and Alaska is home to the larger ones. Wherever they are, when animals see the bald eagle descending, they know to scatter.

Bald eagles require a very large hunting ground, an area of 2 to 15 square miles per hunting pair. Each pair of bald eagles shares a nest, furiously guarding it from predators. 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 Osprey usually drops its hard-won catch in order to escape the powerful eagle, and the eagle, not at all fussy about its meals, will then eat it.

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. The bald eagle in the wild can live to be 25 years old, though most birds do not live to be this age. They live across North America, from the north, including Canada and Alaska, across the middle expanses of the U.S., and south into the northern part of Mexico.

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. 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. The dangers of hunger, disease, harsh weather, and toxic chemicals can all make life hard for baby eagles, but almost 70% manage to adapt and survive for at least a year.

Did you know that the U.S. Congress tried to help the species by passing the Bald Eagle Protection Act in 1940? The Act protected bald eagles by making it illegal for anyone to bother or disturb these birds. It also protected them by making it illegal to take the birds or their nests or eggs, in order to buy, sell, trade, own, import or export them. Taking an eagle included shooting at the birds, wounding them, trapping, capturing, disturbing them, or killing them in any manner.

Toxic chemicals in the environment, including DDT and commercial and residential pesticides, led to a mass die-off of the bald eagle. 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 seemed nearly impossible to save the species from extinction at the time.

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. In the early 1990s, the rapidly increasing numbers of bald eagles made it possible for the species to be taken off the endangered species lists in most states.

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 bald eagle takes long strides, each deliberate and powerful as it launches into its slow-motion soaring flight. 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. Make the time to see these wonderful animals for yourself.

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