| The American Bald Eagle is the United States | | | | A female Bald Eagle lays 1-3 eggs and raises one |
| National Symbol. It was chosen as our national | | | | brood of eaglets a year. Both female and male |
| symbol in 1782 and was chosen over the Golden | | | | eagles will sit on the eggs. If the eggs are |
| Eagle because it lives on on the North American | | | | destroyed she may lay some more eggs. It takes |
| Continent while the Golden Eagle also lives in | | | | the eggs four weeks to hatch. |
| Europe. When born it is truly an ugly duckling, but | | | | Eaglets are covered with gray fuzz and require a |
| in four to five years it will turn into a beautiful bird | | | | great amount of food. Both parents feed the |
| that inspires you when you view it in flight. If you | | | | chicks. They normally eat fish (fresh and salt |
| study about this beautiful bird you can learn some | | | | water fish), but will sometimes eat snakes and |
| very interesting facts. | | | | smaller birds, rodents and rabbits. There eyesight |
| There are eagles all over the world, but the | | | | and diving ability help them catch food. They can |
| American Bald Eagle only lives on the North | | | | fly with four to eight pounds of food in their |
| American Continent. The Bald Eagle is not bald it | | | | grasp. They have long sharp orange beaks and |
| develops white head and tail feathers around the | | | | curved talons to hold their prey. Because of their |
| age of four or five. They stand at a height of 2 | | | | large size they require a large hunting area. |
| ½ - 3 feet tall and weigh about 10-14 | | | | They have superior eye sight. They can see |
| pounds. Their wing span is 6-8 feet. | | | | 1½ miles away. They can also see both |
| Bald Eagles mate for life, but if one dies the other | | | | forward and sideways. Their flying speed is 30 - |
| one may or will choose another mate. Some | | | | 35 miles an hour, but can their diving speed can |
| eagles may live 30 years or more in the wild. | | | | be up to 100 miles an hour. |
| A Bald Eagles nest (aeries) is nearly always | | | | They are the top of the food chain making them |
| located in a tree that will be taller than 75 feet. A | | | | more vulnerable to toxic chemicals found in the |
| pair of them may take as long as six weeks to | | | | environment. Because of this vulnerability and the |
| build a nest the first time. The nest is made of | | | | desire for their feathers at one time they were |
| sticks and lined with twigs and green grass. The | | | | being hunted and killedto the point of near |
| heaviest nest ever found was one ton. The nests | | | | extinction. That is why they were put on the |
| may be as tall as five feet and the diameter | | | | Endangered Species Acts. |
| could also be as large as five feet. There was a | | | | If you have ever watched a Bald Eagle soar |
| large nest found in Ohio that was eight and a half | | | | across the sky you will realize that this bird is |
| feet across and 12 feet tall. Occasionally the nests | | | | very special and we need to do all we can to |
| become to large for the trees and will topple the | | | | preserve it for us and for future generations. |
| tree. | | | | |