A photo of a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), which occupies the same niche as the bald eagle in the Palearctic. Its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico. It is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting. The bald eagle is an opportunistic feeder which subsists mainly on fish, which it swoops down upon and snatches from the water with its talons. It builds the largest nest of any North American bird and the largest tree nests ever recorded for any animal species, up to 4 m (13 ft) deep, 2.5 m (8.2 ft) wide, and 1 metric ton (1.1 short tons) in weight. Sexual maturity is attained at the age of four to five years. Bald eagles are not actually bald; the name derives from an older meaning of the word, "white headed". The adult is mainly brown with a white head and tail. The sexes are identical in plumage, but females are about 25 percent larger than males. The yellow beak is large and hooked. The plumage of the immature is brown. The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States of America and appears on its seal. In the late 20th century it was on the brink of extirpation in the contiguous United States. Populations have since recovered, and the species was removed from the U.S. government's list of endangered species on July 12, 1995, and transferred to the list of threatened species. It was removed from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in the contiguous states on June 28, 2007.
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Bald Eagles on Birda

Photos

Sightings

A map showing the sighting location
🐧
Margaret Gazdacka
Monday 27 Mar 2023 - 12:58pm
United States
A photo of a Bald Eagle photographed in Oak's Clubside United States
🐥
Adrienne Henderson
Sunday 26 Mar 2023 - 10:21pm
United States
A map showing the sighting location
🦄
Madeline :)
Sunday 26 Mar 2023 - 8:48pm
United States
A photo of a Bald Eagle photographed in World War I Memorial United States
🦢
Jeff B
Sunday 26 Mar 2023 - 8:30pm
United States
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