Bald Eagles

Bald Eagles can live in every type of wetland habitat in North America!

Bald Eagles create alternative nests within their territory as backups!

Bald Eagles prefer areas with old-growth forests for nesting!

Bald Eagle territories can range from 1 to 6 square miles!

Bald Eagles often hunt in the early morning and late afternoon!

Bald Eagles can spot fish from heights of up to 1,000 feet (305 meters) in the air!

Life Cycle

Bald Eagle babies triple their weight in the first month of life!

Bald Eagle chicks start flying about 10–14 weeks after hatching!

Bald Eagle parents take turns incubating their eggs, which typically takes 35 days!

Bald Eagles usually lay 1–3 eggs each year, but sometimes only one eaglet survives!

Baby Bald Eagles start growing their flight feathers when they’re just 3 weeks old!

It takes about 5 years for a Bald Eagle to develop its distinctive white head and tail feathers!

Bald Eagles typically find a mate when they’re around 4–5 years old and stay together for life!

Diet & Feeding

A Bald Eagle can eat up to 1 pound (0.45 kg) of food at a time – that’s like eating 4 hamburgers in one sitting!

Bald Eagles can spot a fish swimming up to 3 feet (91 centimeters) below the water’s surface!

Sometimes Bald Eagles work together to hunt ducks and other waterfowl!

Fish make up about 90% of a Bald Eagle’s diet!

Bald Eagles often hunt in the early morning when fish are near the water’s surface!

Bald Eagles can catch fish weighing up to 3 pounds (1.36 kilogram) right out of the water!

Adaptations

Bald Eagles have special cells in their eyes that help them see ultraviolet light!

A Bald Eagle’s eyes can switch focus instantly to track fast-moving prey!

A Bald Eagle’s beak is perfectly shaped for tearing meat into small pieces!

Fun and Unique Facts

In Alaska alone, there are an estimated 30,000 Bald Eagles – more than half of all Bald Eagles in the United States!

Bald Eagles are protected by three different federal laws in the United States to ensure their continued survival!

Bald Eagles have been the national symbol of the United States since 1782!

The Bald Eagle appears on the Great Seal of the United States!

Bald Eagles have appeared on U.S. coins and dollar bills for over 200 years!

The ban on DDT pesticide in 1972 helped save Bald Eagles from extinction!

Benjamin Franklin never proposed the Wild Turkey as America’s national symbol. In a letter to his daughter, he called the Bald Eagle “a bird of bad moral character” and praised the turkey as “a much more respectable bird.”

There are now more than 300,000 Bald Eagles in the lower 48 United States!

Bald Eagles can recognize and remember individual birds they’ve encountered before!