The Bald Eagle is the National Symbol of the USA. The name is misleading as the Bald Eagle isn’t really bald! It has white feathers on the head They typically don’t emerge though until the bird is about 5 or 6 years old. They have very long feathers and the can be up to 12 pounds in size. The females are usually about 1/3 larger than the males. The average wingspan of a Bald Eagle is 8 feet.
The Bald Eagle is one of the few species of Eagles that live in the USA and Canada. In many regions, they have been at risk due to their habitat being destroyed. As a result, protective efforts were in place for a very long time. Most of the time, Bald Eagles live around bodies of water.
They will create nests very high up in the tree. It is very unusual to find such a nest that is less than 75 feet up in the trees. They will continue to build that nest and keep it in very good condition. When a pair of Eagles create a nest to initially have their offspring in, it can take them up to 6 weeks to do so. They use grass, twigs, and other items to make a large nest. Some of them weigh up to 200 pounds.
They are very selective when it comes to finding a mate. Once they find the one they will mate with, that is their partner for life. Should one of the Bald Eagles die, it can be many years before the remaining one will find a new mate. The females can lay from 1 to 3 eggs at a time.
The female is very protective of those eggs. She and the male will take turns guarding it while the other is looking for food. About 4 weeks later, the young will emerge from the eggs. The parents will both be responsible for bringing large amounts of food back to the nest to feed the huge appetites of these young Bald Eagles.
They have the ability to see food sources more than 1 mile away. This is where the term Eagle Eye comes from. They can also dive up to 100 feet to get food that they see. As a result, the element of surprise is often on their side when it comes to getting what they find for food.
There are many types of food that the adults will consume. They include snakes, fish, and even smaller species of birds. In some locations they will consume rodents and rabbits. They use their sharp talons to grab the prey and then their hooked beak to get to the meat. They can carry up to 8 pounds of food with them while they are in full flight.
The adults have to regurgitate the food that they consume in order to feed it to the young. When there are many young and not enough food, it is going to be the strongest that will get the food. This helps to ensure survival of the fittest for the Bald Eagle population.