Bald Eagles
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The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus
leucocephalus) is a bird of prey
found in North America that is most
recognizable as the national bird
and symbol of the United States of
America. The Bald Eagle isn’t bald.
The use of “bald” in its name is
actually a shortening of the world
“piebald,’ which describes something
that is spotted or patchy,
especially in black and white.
Because the Bald Eagle has a dark
brown body and a white head and
tail, piebald is an appropriate
term.
The national emblem of the United
States, the Bald Eagle was
threatened with extinction in the
lower 48 states because of a type of
pesticide, DDT. Protection under the
Endangered Species Act, together
with reintroduction programs,
brought populations back up and the
species was then reclassified as
Threatened in 1995. The Bald Eagle
is a very large raptor; it has an
unmistakable brown body and white
head and tail. The beak, feet, and
irises are bright yellow. The legs
are unfeathered, and the toes are
short and powerful with large
talons. The highly developed talon
of the hind toe is used to pierce
the vital areas of prey while it is
held immobile by the front toes.[3]
The beak is large and hooked, with a
yellow cere. The Bald Eagle has
long, broad wings that are held flat
while soaring. Bald Eagles normally
squeak and have a shrill cry,
punctuated by grunts, the Bald Eagle
makes a call that sounds like
high-pitched whistling or piping.
These birds breed in forested areas
near large bodies of water. In the
winter they tend to stay in coastal
areas, along large rivers and large,
unfrozen lakes. The Bald Eagle
prefers habitats near seacoasts,
rivers, large lakes, and other large
bodies of open water with an
abundance of fish. The Bald Eagle's
diet is opportunistic and varied,
but most feed mainly on fish. They
eat large birds, mammals and
carrion, especially carcasses of
ungulates and large fish.
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