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The bald eagle is the most revered bird in the United States. It is the national symbol of freedom. Its distinctive brown body and white head and tail make it easy to identify, even from a distance.
See the fact file below for more information on the bald eagle or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Bald eagle worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
- The bald eagle is the only eagle solely native to North America.
- The bald eagle is also the national bird of the United States of America.
- Its natural range covers most of North America, including parts of Canada, right down to northern Mexico.
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves
- Order: Accipitriformes
- Family: Accipitridae
- Genus: Haliaeetus
- Species: Haliaeetus leucocephalus
- Subspecies: Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus (Southern bald eagle) Haliaeetus leucocephalus washingtoniensis (Northern bald eagle)
Size and Appearance
- The bald eagle is not actually bald. It gets its name because its white head against its dark brown body makes it look bald from a distance.
- The bald eagle’s hooked bill, legs, and feet are all a distinct yellow.
- The plumage of an adult bald eagle is evenly dark brown with a white head and tail.
- The tail is moderately long and slightly wedge-shaped.
- Males and females are identical in coloration, but due to sexual dimorphism, females are 25% larger than males.
- The average bald eagle has a body length of 27 – 40 in (70–102 cm).
- They have a wingspan of up to 8.5 ft (2.6 m)
- Bald eagles range in weight from 6.5 – 14 lb (3 to 6.5 kg).
- Because females are larger, they weigh in at about 12.4 lb (5.6 kg) against the males’ average weight of 9 lb (4.1 kg).
Habitat and Behavior
- Bald eagles are solitary birds of prey. However, when there is abundant food, they may gather in groups of up to 400.
- Bald eagles live in forests that are near reservoirs, rivers, lakes, marshes, and coasts.
- Some also live near fish processing plants, dumps, and other areas where they can find a supply of food.
- Bald eagles build massive nests high in the treetops. The male and female work on the nest together, and during this quality time, they cement their lifelong bond.
- One pair of bald eagles in Florida earned the Guinness World Record for the largest bird’s nest. It measured 20 feet (6 m) deep and 9.5 ft (2.9 m) wide. The nest weighed over two tons!
- The bald eagle is a powerful flier and soars high on thermal convection currents.
- A bald eagle reaches speeds of 56–70 km/h (35–43 mph) when gliding and about 48 km/h (30 mph) when carrying fish.
- Bald eagles make a high-pitched squeaking sound.
- Bald eagles are sometimes submerged in water when they are inexperienced or while catching a large fish. These birds can’t swim or survive long in the water. However, because their feathers are light and their bones are hollow, they don’t sink. They use their wings to paddle back to land.
- Bald eagles display “talon clasping” or “cartwheel displays” during courtship or territorial disputes. This happens when two eagles clasp each other’s talons in midair and spin down, letting go only when they’ve almost reached the ground.
Diet
- The bald eagle is an opportunistic carnivore.
- To hunt fish, the eagles swoop over water and snatch fish out of the water with their talons.
- Eagles have specific structures on their toes called spicules that allow them to grasp slippery fish.
- They eat the captured fish (or any other prey) by holding it down with their claws and tearing the flesh off with their sharp beak.
- Bald eagles are classified as “fish eagles” because their main food source/diet is fish.
- Bald eagles also eat carrion (decaying flesh of dead animals), rodents, and smaller birds.
- Bald eagles store excess food in their crop, a muscular pouch below their throat that looks like a bulge from the outside.
- Even though they are a symbol of freedom in the United States, these birds are known for being bullies that harass smaller birds, often stealing their prey.
Reproduction and Lifespan
- Bald eagles become sexually mature at the age of four to five years old.
- Once paired, bald eagles remain with each other until one mate dies. The surviving bird will then find another mate.
- When bald eagles are old enough to breed, they often return to the area where they were born.
- After the pair have built their nest, the female bald eagle will lay one to three eggs which are incubated for 34 to 36 days.
- Both the male and female take turns incubating the eggs, but the female does most of the sitting.
- The parent not incubating will hunt for food or look for nesting material during this stage.
- When they hatch, the chicks are covered in light-gray down.
- They are called eaglets.
- The young fledge anywhere from 8 to 14 weeks of age. However, they remain close to the nest and are attended to by their parents for a further six weeks.
- Juvenile bald eagles have mostly brown heads. For the first four to five years, they move through a series of different plumage patterns.
- The immature eagles wander widely in search of food until they attain adult plumage and are eligible to reproduce.
- The average lifespan of bald eagles in the wild is around 20 years, with the oldest confirmed one having been 38 years old.
- In captivity, they often live longer. A captive bald eagle in New York lived for nearly 50 years.
Did You Know?
- A permit is required to keep bald eagles in captivity in the United States, and any facilities where these eagles are kept have to be equipped with specialized facilities as well as workers experienced in their care and handling of them.
- The bald eagle is a sacred bird in some North American cultures. Its feathers are central to many spiritual and religious customs among Native Americans.
- Eagles are also considered spiritual messengers between gods and humans by some cultures.
Bald eagle Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about bald eagle across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Bald eagle worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the bald eagle, which is the most revered bird in the United States. It is the national symbol of freedom. Its distinctive brown body, white head and tail make it easy to identify, even from a distance.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Bald Eagle Facts
- Swoopin’ Right
- An Eagle’s Build
- Of Latin Origins
- Breaking the Myth
- Eagle Back Home
- Birds of Prey
- The Serpent & The Eagle
- Symbol of Valor
- Act I. Drawing
- Act II. Reflection
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a group of eagles called?
A group of eagles is called a convocation of eagles, or alternatively, they are sometimes called a ‘soar of eagles’.
Is the Bald eagle endangered?
The bald eagle was removed from the endangered species list in 2007 because their populations had sufficiently recovered. However, it is still illegal to hunt, sell or possess the bald eagle, its eggs, and its feathers.
Do bald eagles have good eyesight?
The bald eagle, like most of the eagle family, has very good eyesight. Their eyesight is said to be eight times better/stronger than a human’s eyesight.
Do bald eagles fly fast?
Bald eagles can fly up to 30 m.p.h. (48 kph). And when diving for food, the bald eagle can reach speeds of up to 100 m.p.h. (160 kph).
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Link will appear as Bald Eagle Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, June 23, 2018
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.