Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus) live to about 28 years of age, and remain most abundant in Alaska and Canada. These powerful birds of prey use their talons to fish, but they get many of their meals by scavenging carrion or stealing the kills of other animals.
They live near water and favor coasts and lakes where fish are plentiful though they will also snare and eat small mammals. Seeing a Bald Eagle in person is something many hope to experience. Now with conservation efforts in place it can be a possibility for even more people. In honor of this magnificent bird, here are interesting facts about the Bald Eagle:
1. 68% of Bald Eagle deaths are caused
by humans with 23% of eagles dying when they hit man-made objects like wires,
cars, and buildings, 22% died after being shot, another 5% died after they were
trapped, 9% from being electrocuted, and 11% after they had been poisoned.
2.
Back
in the 1700s, there were thought to be between 300,000 and 500,000 Bald Eagles
in the wild. But by the 1950s, numbers had
fallen considerably
until there were just 500 nesting pairs in America. Since then, conservation
efforts have increased to protect the birds, and there are now around 70,000
Bald Eagles in all of North America.
3.
Bald
Eagle nests can be up to 13ft deep and 8ft wide and can weigh up to one ton.
4.
Bald Eagles are about three feet
tall, but their wings can span six to eight feet from tip to tip.
5.
Bald Eagles can be playful. They
have been known to play around with plastic bottles and other objects. One
observer has even witnessed some group play, with six Bald Eagles passing
sticks to each other in midair.
6.
Bald Eagles mate for life. Male
and female Bald Eagles look almost identical, but if you see a pair, the female
is usually the larger bird.
7.
Despite
their common appearance on all things patriotic, there are a number of facts
people don’t know about these graceful birds.
8.
On
average, female Bald Eagles are around 25% larger than the males of the
species, which gives them a larger wingspan.
9. The Bald Eagle has been the emblem
of America since 1787
10.
The
Bald Eagle with
its snowy-feathered head
appears bald until they reach adolescence at around four or five years old.
11.
The largest Bald Eagle nest on
record was 9.5 feet (3 meters) wide and 20 feet(6 meters) high. It weighed more than two
tons.
“For my own part, I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the
representative of our country. He is a bird of bad moral character. He does not
get his living honestly.” (Benjamin Franklin)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“5 Facts You Didn’t Know
about America’s Beloved Bald Eagle” by Alexis Croswell
·
“Bald Eagle” by National
Geographic
·
“Bald Eagle
Facts: 8 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About American Mascot” by Lizzie Davey
This post is dedicated to my maternal uncle and aunt (Larry
and Phyllis Eagle), who I love very much.
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