Creature Feature: The Bald Eagle!
If you've ever seen a bald eagle, you'll have probably noticed something a little bit strange - they aren't bald! This is because the name actually comes from an old English word, "balde", meaning white.
Bald Eagles are found in North America, and have been the national symbol of the United States since 1782. But did you know that these beautiful birds were once on the brink of extinction because of hunting and pollution? Luckily, laws created almost 50 years ago have helped protect them, and they've made a comeback. Yeah!
One of the most awesome sights in nature is a bald eagle swooping down from the sky to grab a fish. They can soar over a 3,048m high (that's over nine times the height of the Eiffel tower!), and their great eyesight lets them see fish up to 1.6km away. When they attack, they drop down, glide just above the water, snag a fish with their feet, and fly off to eat it.
Babies, called eaglets, are born light grey then turn brown as they get older. When they are four to five years old, they develop their normal white heads and tails.
Eagle nests are called aeries. Bald eagles build their nests at the very top of tall trees so the eggs will be safe. Some parents come back year after year to the same nest, adding more sticks, twigs and grass each time.
- These carnivorous birds can only lift about half their body weight. If they catch a fish that weighs more than that, they might hang onto it with their claws and "swim" to shore using their huge wings.
- The average female bald eagle has a wingspan of 1.8m to 2.4m, and weighs 4kg.
- In the wild, bald eagles can live up to 35 years old.
- Female bald eagles are larger than males. Their bodies can grow up to 1m long, and their wingspan can be up to 2.4m across (that's about the distance from the floor to the ceiling!).
Adapted from text by Scot Hoffman.
Images: Getty Images UK.