Bald Eagle

Overview
Bald Eagle: Large, hawk-like bird, dark brown body and white head, tail. Heavy bill, legs, feet, eyes are yellow. Hunts for fish, which it sometimes steals from ospreys. Eats carrion and crippled or injured squirrels, rabbits, muskrats and waterfowl. Flap-and-glide flight, also soars on thermals.

Range and Habitat
Bald Eagle: Formerly distributed across most of North America; now limited to breeding in Alaska, Canada, northern Great Lakes states, Gulf coast states, and the Pacific northwest. Move south from northern breeding grounds during winters. Preferred habitats include open water areas that support large numbers of waterfowl or fish.

The Bald Eagle is native to Mexico, Canada and the United States. It is also native to Saint Pierre and Miquelon. It has been seen in the US Virgin Islands as well as Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Ireland and Belize. The range of this bird is thought to be around 9 million square kilometers. The Bald Eagle's population in the United States declined through the 1960s as a result of habitat destruction and hunting. During the past three decades, the population has seen significant increase and the Bald Eagle now has a rating of Least Concern.

INTERESTING FACTS
The Bald Eagle has been the symbol of the United States of America since 1782. At one time, the word “bald” (balde) meant white—not hairless—referring to the white head and upper neck of the adult Bald Eagle. They can live up to 40 years in the wild and even longer in captivity. A group of eagles has many collective nouns, including an "aerie", "convocation", "jubilee", "soar", and "tower" of eagles.