Fun Facts!

The largest bald eagle nest ever recorded was found in Florida. It was more than nine feet wide and 20 feet high and weighed more than two tons.

The bald eagle was adopted as our national symbol in 1782.

As in most birds of prey, female bald eagles are larger than males.

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

The bald eagle ranges up to 3 feet long from head to tail and has a wing span of 7 feet long. This eagle can weigh between 6.5-14 lbs. Both males and females have feathers that look similar and have a brown body with a white head and tail. They have excellent eyesight and the frontal setting of their eyes gives them excellent binocular vision as well as peripheral vision. They also have strong talons on their feet and a hooked beak.

HABITAT

The bald eagle lives in North America near seacoasts, rivers, large lakes, and other large bodies of open water where they can find an abundance of fish. This large bird will find a mature tree for perching, roosting and nesting and will often use the same nest year after year.

DIET IN THE WILD

The primary food source for bald eagles is fish. They also feed on carrion, birds, small mammals, and reptiles.

BEHAVIOR

Timid, prone to becoming stressed and unpredictable in nature, bald eagles are best left in the wild. Those in captivity, such as the pair at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo, have been injured and rehabilitated but are unsuitable to be released back into the wild.

STATUS IN THE WILD/CONSERVATION EFFORTS

By 1963, illegal shooting, habitat destruction and lead poisoning, reduced the number of bald eagles only 417 pairs. Due to conservation efforts such as the Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940 and the Endangered Species Preservation Act, the number of eagles has grown. In 2007, the bald eagle was removed from the endangered list after 40 years of being protected.

LIFE SPAN
 

These majestic animals can live up to 28 years in the wild.