Geographical Range | North America |
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Habitat | Woodlands, near freshwater |
Scientific Name | Haliaeetus leucocephalus |
Conservation Status | Common |
Symbol of Our Nation
The bald eagle was adopted as our national emblem in 1782. Our founding fathers chose it as a symbol of potency, long biography and gallant looks, and besides because it is the only eagle singular to North America. Legend besides has it that, during a dawn struggle early in the american Revolutionary War, a group of bald eagles circled over the heads of the patriots as they fought. The eagle appears in the Great Seal of the United States, in the seals of many of our individual states, and on most american coins .
A Bald-faced Lie
The bald eagle is not truly bald. It carries that name because, when seen from a distance, its white head- and neck-feathers tend to make the bird appear bald. This bird reaches an impressive size. From head to tail it can measure up to three-and-a-half-feet long, and weigh between eight and 15 pounds. The wingspan of an pornographic can reach eight feet.
Reading: Bald Eagle | Saint Louis Zoo
Adult male and female bald eagles look the same, with the characteristic white steer, white buttocks markings, and brown torso. Their beak, feet and eyes are jaundiced. youthful eagles are a dappled brown color. It takes juveniles four to five years to develop their pornographic feather .
Something Fishy
Bald eagles are strictly meat-eaters, and are efficient hunters. Their sharp claw ( called talons ) not merely help them latch onto their raven, but often deliver a fatal boast. then the birds use their peck to tear their food into bite-size pieces. Their primary source of food is fish ( often salmon ) — which can comprise 60 to 90 percentage of their diet. ( The eagles ‘ preference for pisces was unfortunately the cause of the birds ‘ serious descent in the mid-20th century — see “ Conservation Success Story, ” below. ) They besides eat small birds, mammals ( rabbits, muskrats ), the casual turtle, and carrion ( animal carcase ) if they come across it. Eagles have even been observed stealing pisces from ospreys and other birds. Eagles normally hunt by themselves. But in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, large colonies of bald eagles gather along the rivers when the salmon are running. They perch in trees and on riverbanks, waiting to swoop down on bore and weakened fish .
Eagle Eye
Like most birds, bald eagles rely primarily on their bang-up sense of sight. Scientists have found their eyesight is six times sharper than that of humans. Some eagles have been known to spot pisces at distances up to one sea mile. No wonder person with good eyesight is known as an “ eagle eye ! ”
The Ultimate Sibling Rivalry
Bald eagles frequently mate for life. Courting behavior begins in early April, and often involves spectacular antenna displays in which the birds dive through the sky and sometimes lock their talons together. After copulate, the birds nest in the tops of grandiloquent trees, sometimes more than 100 feet above the ground. The male and female elaborate the nest every year with sticks, leaves, grasses, and feathers — so much so that it can reach a massive size. The largest bald eagle nest on criminal record was 20 feet deep, 10 feet wide, and two tons in weight !
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The female normally lays two white eggs a day or two apart. Both parents take turns sitting on the clasp. When the chicks hatch, the stronger of the two babies frequently picks on the weaker one — sometimes killing it, sometimes starving it to end by stealing its food .
A Southern “Vacation”
Adult bald eagles try to stay close to their nest territory, equally long as there is adequate food and linear urine. But as winter sets in, many of them migrate south to the southerly parts of North America and to Mexico. An eagle normally migrates to the same location every year, but returns in the leap to its original cuddle grounds. Eagles are able to migrate hanker distance because they make function of rising currents of affectionate breeze known as thermals. By gliding from thermal to thermal, they can soar for hanker periods of time with small need to flap their wings, therefore conserving energy. While bald eagles are lone on their engender grounds, they ‘re more sociable during migration and during their winter “ vacation. ” They can often be seen in boastfully numbers roosting and hunting along rivers and streams .
Conservation Success Story
The eagle is one of America ‘s best-known conservation successes, and its future now looks bright. But not so long ago the bald eagle was near to extinction. A kind of factors caused the species ‘ precipitation. After World War II, there was widespread use of insecticides like DDT. These toxins drained into rivers from farmlands, accumulating in pisces and other river animals. When the eagles ate the fish, the pesticides caused them to lay eggs whose shells were besides thin to support the burden of brooding parents. The eagles ‘ birth rate crashed. other trends worsened the situation. The eagles ‘ habitat was badly reduced as farmers and developers drained swamps and other wetlands. Hunters, including ranchers captive on protecting their sheep, besides took their toll. By 1963, there were only 417 known breeding pairs of bald eagles in the lower 48 states. In Missouri, all of the nest bald eagles had disappeared. finally, the bird was declared endangered in 43 states and threatened in five others.
Read more : Bald Eagles Nest Locally
then the tide turned. In 1967, the bald eagle was formally declared an endangered species ( under a law that preceded the Endangered Species Act ). A bachelor of arts in nursing on DDT — together with wetland restoration projects and bans on the search of bald eagles — helped the birds make a boring rejoinder. By the mid-1990s, they had made such a significant recovery that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service upgraded their federal status in the lower 48 states to threatened. “ IUCN ” nowadays lists the species as common. far recognition of the eagles ‘ success was the late announcement by federal officials that the bald eagle will soon be taken off the threaten species list. The birds will continue to be protected under the federal Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940, which prohibits killing or selling the dame. Bald eagles have begun to breed once again in Missouri — dwelling to the largest wintering population of the birds in the lower 48 states. today, Missouri once again provides a summer base for nesting bald eagles and a winter habitat for thousands more .
Fun Facts
- A bald eagle can live up to 30 years in the wild, and longer in captivity.
- These eagles can fly up to 60 miles per hour, and can dive at speeds up to 100 miles per hour.
- All bald eagles in captivity — including those at the Saint Louis Zoo — can no longer survive in the wild. They have all been injured, often by human activities.
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.