7/4/2014 Bald Eagle Info & Photos - American Bald Eagle

Information
D e sc ri p t i o n pag e 2 E ag l e a c t s ea t he rs E ! e s i gh t eed i n g " a# i t s $ e s t i n g & % o&n g ' i g ra t i o n & $ a ( i ga t i o n
E ag l e )s " i s t o r! E ag l e )s & t & re $ a t i ona l E m # l e m E ag l e * i e + i n g E ag l e ,ad ! ' ! t h s & ,egend s E ag l e P oe m s
- l d E ag l e . re e - l d A # e / o l de n E ag l e " a rp ! E ag l e E ss en c e o f E ag l e s 0 o rl d E ag l e s 1 c ree n 1 a ( e rs
, i n 2 s E ag l e P ho t o s $ A B i rd P ho t o s . 3 0 il d li fe 1 D & 4 - 0 il d li fe 4 on t a c t " o m e
.he #ald eagle 5"aliaeet&s le&cocephal&s67 o&r national #ird7 is
the onl! eagle &ni8&e to $orth America9 .he #ald eagle)s
scientific
name signifies a sea 5halo6 eagle 5aeetos6 +ith a +hite 5le&2 os6 head9 At
Pain In .he
one time7 the +ord :#ald: meant :+hite7: not hairless9 Bald eagles are
Bac2
fo&nd thro&gho&t most of $orth America7 from Alas2a and 4anada to
northern 'e;ico9 A#o&t half of the +orld)s 707000 #ald eagles li(e in portea9com/Bac2-P<
Alas2a9 4om#ined +ith British 4ol&m#ia)s pop&lation of a#o&t 2070007
1&ffering from ,o+er
the north+est coast of $orth America is #! far their greatest stronghold
for #ald eagles9 .he! flo&rish here in part #eca&se of the salmon9 Dead or
d!ing fish are an important food so&rce for all #ald eagles9
Eagles are a mem#er of the Accipitridae famil!= +hich also incl&des
ha+2s7 2ites7 and old-+orld (&lt&res9 1cientists loosel! di(ide eagles
into fo&r gro&ps #ased on their ph!sical characteristics and #eha(ior9
.he
#ald eagle is a sea or fish eagle9
.here are t+o s&#species of #ald eagles9 .he :so&thern: #ald
eagle7 "aliaeet&s le&cocephal&s le&cocephal&s7 is fo&nd in the /&lf
1tates from .e;as and Ba>a 4alifornia across to 1o&th 4arolina and
lorida7 so&th of 40 degrees north latit&de9 .he :northern: #ald eagle7
"aliaeet&s le&cocephal&s alascan&s7 is fo&nd north of 40 degrees
north
latit&de across the entire continent9 .he largest n&m#ers of northern #ald eagles are in the $orth+est7 especiall! in Alas2a9
.he :northern: #ald eagle is slightl! larger than the :so&thern: #ald eagle9 1t&dies ha(e sho+n that :northern: #ald eagles fl!
into the so&thern states and 'e;ico7 and the :so&thern: #ald eagles fl! north into 4anada9 Beca&se of these finding7 the
s&#species of :northern: and :so&thern: #ald eagles has #een discontin&ed in recent literat&re9
4olor - Both male and female ad&lt #ald eagles ha(e
a #lac2ish-#ro+n #ac2 and #reast= a +hite head7 nec27 and
tail= and !ello+ feet and #ea29
?&(enile #ald eagles are a mi;t&re of #ro+n and +hite= +ith a
#lac2 #ea2 in !o&ng #irds9 .he ad&lt pl&mage de(elops +hen
the! are se;&all! mat&re9 It ta2es a#o&t fi(e !ears for their
head and tail feathers to grad&all! t&rn +hite9
1ome #ald eagles ha(e le&cism7 a genetic m&tation that
affects feather pigment9 A le&cistic #ald eagle can ha(e
patches of +hite feathers on its #od! and +ings= ha(e o(erall
faded or pale feathers= or ha(e o(erall +hite feathers9
E;amples@ pa t c he s of +hite feathers and pa l e fea t he rs
.he #ald eagle is the onl! eagle confined to $orth America9
.here are no other large #lac2ish-#ro+n #irds +ith a +hite
head and tail in $orth American9
1iAe - A female #ald eagle)s #od! length (aries from BC to
B7 inches= +ith a +ingspan of 7D to D0 inches9 .he smaller
male #ald eagle has a #od! length of B0 to B4 inches= +ith a
+ingspan ranging from 72 to EC inches9 An eagle)s a(erage +eight is ten to fo&rteen po&nds9 $orthern #irds are significantl!
larger than their so&thern relati(es9
Eagles sit at the top of the food chain7 ma2ing them more (&lnera#le to to;ic chemicals in the en(ironment7 since each
lin2 in the food chain tends to concentrate chemicals from the lo+er lin29
A #ald eagle)s lifting po+er is a#o&t 4 po&nds9 .he! do not generall! feed on chic2ens or other domestic li(estoc27 #&t
the! +ill ma2e &se of a(aila#le food so&rces9 Bald eagles +ill ta2e ad(antage of carrion 5dead and deca!ing flesh69 Beca&se
of its sca(enger image7 some people disli2e the #ald eagle9 -ther people do not care for po+erf&l and aggressi(e #irds9 1till
other people o#>ect merel! on the gro&nds that it is a #ird of pre!7 +hich 2ills other animals for food9
h tt p @// +++ 9#a l dea g l e i n fo 9c o m /
1/B
7/4/2014 Bald Eagle Info & Photos - American Bald Eagle
Information
ma! #e a +a! of reinforcing the #ond #et+een the male and female7 and to +arn other eagles and predators that an area
is defended9 B a l d eag l e a&d i o 9
E!esight - An eagle)s e!e is almost as large as a h&man)s7 #&t its sharpness is at least fo&r times that of a person +ith
perfect (ision9
12eleton - It +eighs a#o&t half a po&nd 52C0 to B00 grams67 and is onl! C or F percent of its total +eight9 .he feathers
+eigh t+ice that m&ch9 Eagle #ones are light7 #eca&se the! are hollo+9 .he #ea27 talons7 and feathers are made of 2eratin9
ea g l e s 2 e l e to n
"a#itat - Bald eagles li(e along the coast and on ma>or la2es and ri(ers +here the! feed mainl! on fish9
,onge(it! 5life e;pectanc!6 - It)s possi#le for #ald eagles in the +ild to li(e longer than thirt! !ears7 #&t the a(erage lifespan
is fifteen to t+ent! !ears9 A capti(e eagle at 0est 1tephento+n7 $% li(ed to #e at least 4E !ears old9
Bod! .emperat&re - A#o&t 10F degrees ahrenheit 541 degrees 4elsi&s6
Eagles do not s+eat7 so the! need to &se other cooling methods s&ch as perching in the shade7 panting7 and holding
their +ings a+a! from their #od!9
.olerance to cold temperat&res - A #ald eagle)s s2in is protected #! feathers lined +ith do+n9 .heir feet are cold resistance7
consisting of mostl! tendon9 .he o&tside of the #ill is mostl! nonli(ing material7 +ith little #lood s&ppl!9
Bea2 - .he hoo2 at the tip is &sed for tearing9 Behind the hoo27 the &pper
mandi#le7 the edge sharp eno&gh to slice to&gh s2in7 o(er laps the lo+er7
creating a scissors effect9 A #ald eagle)s #ea2 is a strong +eapon7 #&t is also
delicate eno&gh to groom a mate)s feathers or feed a small portion of food to a
ne+l! hatched chic29 .he #ea2 of a female eagle is deeper 5distance from top to
chin6
than the #ea2 of a male9 .he #ea2 and talons gro+ contin&o&sl!7 #eca&se the!
are made of 2eratin7 the same s&#stance as o&r hair and fingernails9 .he #ea2 of
a capti(e eagle is not +arn do+n nat&rall!7 so m&st #e trimmed ann&all!9
.alons - .alons are important tools for h&nting and defense9 Eagles 2ill their
pre! #! penetrating its flesh +ith their talons9
Eagles can open and close their talons at +ill9 If an eagle is dragged into
the +ater #! a fish too large for the eagle to lift7 it is #eca&se the eagle
ref&ses to
release it9 In some cases this is d&e to h&nger9
eagle talons
7/4/2014 Bald Eagle Info & Photos - American Bald Eagle
Information h tt p @// +++ 9#a l dea g l e i n fo 9c o m /
2/B
1tat&s of the #ald eagle - -n ?&ne 2E7 2007 the Weight vs. Wingspan graph/chart
Department of Interior too2 the American #ald
eagle off the ederal ,ist of Endangered and
.hreatened9 B a l d E ag l e D e -li s t i n g
Bald eagles +ill still #e protected G nde r t h e B a l d
an d / o l de n E ag l e P ro t e c t i o n A c t fo r . a 2 e o f
E ag l e s 9 .he G1 ish & 0ildlife 1er(ice Bald and
/olden
Eagle Post-De-listing 1 & r( e ! H e s & l t s 9
.he n&m#er of nesting pairs in the lo+er 4E
Gnited 1tates increased 10-fold7 from less than 4C0
in the earl! 1DF0s7 to more than 47C00 ad&lt #ald
eagle nesting pairs in the 1DD0s9 In the 1o&theast7
for e;ample7 there +ere a#o&t DE0 #reeding pairs in
1DDB7 &p from a#o&t 400 in 1DE19 .he largest
concentrations +ere in the states of lorida and
,o&isiana9 .oda!7 the largest concentrations in
the lo+er 4E are in ,7 '$7 and 0I9
G919 ish & 0ildlife 1er(ice Estimated $&m#er of
Bald Eagle Breeding Pairs G 1 ' a p 5estimates
D77ED69
P a g e 2 of #ald eagle description
information@ idelit!7 flight7 feathers7 +ings and
soaring7
mane&(ering7 flight speed7 flight altit&de7 respirator! s!stem7 difference #et+een an immat&re #ald eagle and an immat&re golden eagle7 and
more9 $orth American B i rd P ho to s and Information
.he information and photos on this +e#site ma! #e &sed for st&dent pro>ects as long as neither are placed on other +e#sites9 .he photographs are
cop!righted #! " op e H & t l edge 7 the o+ner and a&thor of the American Bald Eagle Information +e#site7 and are $-. a(aila#le for other +e#sites7 photo
galleries or commercial &se of an! 2ind9
Heliance -nline .erm
reliancelife9com
B&! online in B simple steps 14r co(er I Hs9 1C per da!9B&! no+J
D e sc ri p t i o n pag e 2 E ag l e a c t s ea t he rs E ! e s i gh t eed i n g " a# i t s $ e s t i n g & % o&n g ' i g ra t i o n & $ a ( i ga t i o n
E ag l e )s " i s t o r! E ag l e )s & t & re $ a t i ona l E m # l e m E ag l e * i e + i n g E ag l e ,ad ! ' ! t h s & ,egend s E ag l e P oe m s
- l d E ag l e . re e - l d A # e / o l de n E ag l e " a rp ! E ag l e E ss en c e o f E ag l e s 0 o rl d E ag l e s 1 c ree n 1 a ( e rs
, i n 2 s E ag l e P ho t o s B i rd P ho t o s . 3 0 il d li fe 1 D & 4 - 0 il d li fe 4 on t a c t " o m e
1 i t e 4r ed i t s P ri ( a c ! P o li c ! " o m e
4op!right K 1DDD - 2014 #aldeagleinfo9com 9 All Hights
Heser(ed
h tt p @// +++ 9#a l dea g l e i n fo 9c o m /
B/B