In 1782 the bald eagle was chosen to represent the United States and has remained its national bird ever since. No European has ever seen a bald eagle, as they were native only to North America. Because the bald eagle is found only in North America, the European settlers had never seen one. The sea eagle name lingers, and the scientific name, Haliaetus leucocephalus, actually means "sea eagle with a white head" in Greek and Latin.

The bald eagle remains the only North American 'sea eagle.' There is no mistaking the bald eagle, with its deep brown feathers and contrasting white head and tail. Buildings and official seals have been emblazoned with the image of the bald eagle, as well as many U.S. coins and flags.

The bald eagle is a fierce bird of prey, along with other raptors, such as hawks, vultures, owls, and falcons. The bald eagle lives on a diet of live prey, such as waterfowl and fish, as well as rodents, snakes, rabbits, and birds, but they will eat carrion when there is no live prey to be eaten. 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. Alaska is home to the larger eagles, while the smaller ones make their homes in Florida. Wherever the bald eagle lives, the animals in the region scatter when the bird begins to land.

Each hunting pair of bald eagles requires an area of 2 to 15 square miles in which to hunt. Bald eagle pairs live in a shared nest, keeping it closely guarded from harm. On the eastern cost of Central Florida, the bald eagle may chase an Osprey along the Indian River lagoon in order to steal its catch. The eagle, unfussy about its meal, will eat the second hand catch when the Osprey drops it to get away from the pursuing eagle.

Bald eagles are social animals, staying loyal to family even as they remain fierce birds of prey. 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. The bald eagle lives all over the North American continent, from Alaska nd Canada, across the continental U.S., and into 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. Breeding bald eagles lay one to three eggs in the spring, which hatch about 35 days later. 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 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? The law prohibits anyone from disturbing or bothering bald eagles. The law also prohibited taking the animals, their eggs, or their nests, for any reason unless they have a permit. Taking the bald eagle includes killing or wounding the birds, as well as shooting at them, capturing them, or disturbing them.

The overuse of pesticides commercially and residentially, as well as the use of DDT and other harmful chemicals, led to the steep decline of bald eagles. 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 was believes at the time that the species might have no road back from extinction.

For species with small populations, and those with very few animals left, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 allowed the legal classifications of endangered or threatened. 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 500 pairs of bald eagles that existed in 1963 rose 10 fold to almost 5,000 pairs in 1994, resulting in Congress declaring the species threatened, not endangered, on August 11, 1995. With the increasing population of the bald eagle, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service will soon take the bird off the endangered species list.

Watching these magnificent birds is a pleasure. The soaring eagle's flight appears to be in slow motion. It begins with the powerful bird's long and deliberate strides. 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 sure to see these magnificent animals for yourself as soon as possible.

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