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Did you know that the bald eagle has symbolized America, as well as being its national bird, since 1782? The bald eagle is native to North America, making it a new sight for the Europeans. No European has ever seen a bald eagle, as they were native only to North America. The scientific name of the bald eagle is Haliaetus leucocephalus, which actually translates from Latin and Greek into 'sea eagle with a white head.' We still call them sea eagles to this day.

North America is the home of only one variety of 'sea eagle'- the bald eagle. It's hard to mistake the bald eagle for any other type of bird, with its striking white head, its deep brown body and its stark white tail. The bald eagle's image has been used on many items over the years, including coins, flags, seals, and on buildings.

Bald eagles are one type of raptor- other birds of prey in this category include owls, vultures, falcons, hawks, and other eagles. Bald eagles live mainly on a diet of waterfowl and fish, but may also eat animals such as snakes, rodents, birds, and rabbits, and when these live specimens are not available they may also eat carrion. 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. Florida is the home of the smaller bald eagles, and Alaska is home to the larger ones. Even small bald eagles intimidate the other animals in the region, and they scatter whenever the mighty bird begins to land.

Bald eagles need plenty of space for hunting, requiring 2 to 15 square miles of hunting ground for every hunting pair. The fiercely guarded nest of the bald eagle is often the home for a pair of eagles. 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 Osprey will drop its mullet to evade the chasing eagle, and the eagle then has a fresh meal.

These powerful birds of prey retain a strong instinct toward family loyalty. The bald eagle stays with its mate for life, though few other birds follow this behavior. Compared to the much shorter life spans of other birds, the bald eagle has a span of as many as 25 years. The bald eagle can be found in many areas of North America, from Alaska, to Mexico, and all over the continental United States and Canada.

The birds are frequent long-distance travelers, flying long distances north in the summer, but will mate within a few hundred miles of the place they were hatched. In the springtime, the bald eagle can lay one to three eggs, each hatching in about 35 days. After three months in the nest, the baby bald eagles begin to fly, and a month later fly away from their mother for good. 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? This law made it illegal for people to disturb or bother the birds. This also included taking bald eagles for reasons such as selling, trading, or transporting them, and also included their eggs and nests. Taking an eagle included shooting at the birds, wounding them, trapping, capturing, disturbing them, or killing them in any manner.

Large numbers of bald eagles died because of DTT, the overuse of pesticides, and other toxic chemicals. The bald eagle was given a chance to be saved by the many reintroduction programs and new laws that were enacted to help them. In those days, many people thought it might be too late to save the bald eagle as in neared extinction.

In 1973, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act, enabling low and very low population animals to have a legal classification of threatened or endangered. 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 bald eagle takes long strides, each deliberate and powerful as it launches into its slow-motion soaring flight. The eagle remains determined, keeping a fixed eye on its prize. From one end of the continent to the other, the majestic presence of the bald eagle is increasing. Take any opportunity to see these magnificent animals.

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