The bald eagle is a large North American bird of prey and the national emblem of the United States since 1782. It is not bald: its head is covered in white feathers. It eats mostly fish, often stolen from ospreys, builds some of the biggest nests of any bird and was taken off the endangered list in 2007.
bald eagles quick facts
- The bald eagle has been the US national emblem since 1782.
- Young bald eagles are brown and only get a white head at four or five years old.
- A typical bald eagle nest is 5 to 6 feet across.
- Eagle eggs hatch after 34 to 36 days.
- Bald eagles were taken off the US endangered species list in 2007.
What is a bald eagle?
The bald eagle is a very large bird of prey from North America. A bird of prey is a bird that hunts other animals for food, using its sharp beak and powerful claws, called talons.
It has been the national emblem of the United States since 1782. For Native American peoples, it was a spiritual symbol for far longer than that.
Its scientific name is Haliaeetus leucocephalus. It comes from Greek words meaning “sea eagle with a white head”.
Is a bald eagle bald?
No! A bald eagle has plenty of feathers on its head. They are just white, so from a distance the head can look bare.
The white head and tail shine against a chocolate-brown body and wings. The bill and feet are bright yellow.
The name comes from an old meaning of the word bald, which once meant white or white-streaked, not hairless.
Meet the Bald Eagle
- Since which year has the bald eagle been the national emblem of the United States?
- What does the bald eagle's scientific name, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, mean?
- What colour are a bald eagle's bill and feet?
- What did the old word bald once mean?
How big is a bald eagle?
A bald eagle is a very large raptor, with a heavy body, a large head and a long, hooked bill. Its wings are long and broad, perfect for soaring for hours on rising air.
As with most birds of prey, females are bigger than males.
On the ground, bald eagles walk with an awkward, rocking waddle. In the air, they are powerful fliers that can soar, glide and flap over long distances.
Eyes and voice
Like other eagles, bald eagles have very sharp eyesight. From high in the air, or from a perch in a tall tree, they can spot a fish near the surface of the water.
Their voice is a surprise. You might expect a fierce scream, but a bald eagle’s call is a high, weak-sounding whinny, a bit like a squeaky giggle.
In films and adverts, bald eagles are often given the harsh scream of a different bird instead, to make them sound more impressive.
Fact or Myth: Eagle Bodies
- Female bald eagles are usually bigger than males.
- On the ground, bald eagles walk smoothly and gracefully.
- Bald eagles find fish mostly by smell, because their eyesight is poor.
- A bald eagle's real call is a high, weak-sounding whinny.
- In films, bald eagles are often given the scream of a different bird.
From brown to white
Young bald eagles do not have white heads. Juveniles are brown, with brown and white mottled wings and a mottled tail with a dark band at the tip.
As they grow older, they change a little every year. Second-year birds are strongly mottled brown and white. By their fourth year, they look almost like adults, with just a few brown feathers left on their white heads.
A bald eagle gets its fully white head and tail at four or five years old.
During those first four years, young eagles wander over huge areas, sometimes flying hundreds of miles in a day. Young eagles from Florida have flown as far north as Michigan, and birds from California have reached Alaska.
Where bald eagles live
Bald eagles live across North America. They usually nest in forests next to large lakes, rivers or coasts, and they keep away from busy towns when they can.
They like to perch in tall, old trees that give them a wide view of the land and water around them.
In winter, bald eagles are most widespread. They can be found along coasts, rivers, lakes and reservoirs in many states, sometimes gathering in their hundreds where there is plenty of food.
What bald eagles eat
Fish are the bald eagle’s main food. Salmon, herring, shad and catfish are common examples.
But bald eagles eat many other things too, depending on what they can find. They catch waterbirds, reptiles, amphibians, crabs and small mammals such as rabbits and muskrats. In winter they also eat carrion, the bodies of animals that are already dead.
A bald eagle can gorge itself, eating a big meal and digesting it over several days. It can also survive without food for days, or even weeks.
A fishing thief
Bald eagles do not always catch their own fish. They often steal food from other animals instead.
A bald eagle will chase an osprey, a smaller fish-eating bird of prey, until it drops its fish in mid-air. Then the eagle swoops down and snatches it. Sometimes it grabs the fish straight out of the osprey’s talons.
Bald eagles steal from other eagles and from animals such as otters too. Occasionally, two eagles even hunt as a team, with one chasing prey towards the other.
Bald eagles can swim, too. An eagle that has caught a fish too heavy to lift may float on the water and use its wings like oars to row itself to the shore.
This habit annoyed Benjamin Franklin. In 1784 he wrote to his daughter that the bald eagle was “a Bird of bad moral Character”, because it did not get its living honestly. He thought the wild turkey would have been a better national bird.
Eagle Words
- Talons — An eagle's powerful claws
- Bird of prey — A bird that hunts other animals for food
- Carrion — Animals that are already dead
- Juvenile — A young eagle that is still brown
- Gorge — Eat a big meal and digest it over days
Giant nests
Bald eagles build some of the biggest nests of any bird. A typical nest is 5 to 6 feet (1.5 to 1.8 m) across and 2 to 4 feet (0.6 to 1.2 m) tall.
They usually build high in a tall, sturdy tree, near the trunk. Both birds bring sticks, but the female does most of the building. They fill the gaps with grass, moss or even cornstalks, and line the inside with soft feathers.
A nest can take up to three months to build, and many pairs use the same nest year after year, adding more each time. The biggest bald eagle nest on record, in Florida, was 2.9 m across and 6.1 m tall. Another, in Ohio, weighed almost two tonnes and was used for 34 years, until its tree blew down.
Eggs and chicks
A female bald eagle lays one to three eggs, usually two. The eggs are dull white.
Both parents take turns keeping the eggs warm. They hatch after 34 to 36 days. The chicks are covered in light grey fluffy down.
The young eagles grow fast. They fly from the nest when they are about 10 to 14 weeks old.
From Nest to Adult
- Building The pair builds a huge stick nest high in a tall tree.
- Laying The female lays dull white eggs.
- Hatching After 34 to 36 days, chicks covered in grey down hatch.
- First flight At about 10 to 14 weeks old, the young eagle flies from the nest.
- Mottled years The young eagle wanders widely, patchy brown and white.
- Adult It gets its fully white head and tail.
Sky dancing
Bald eagles have spectacular courtship displays. In one of them, a male and female fly high into the sky, lock their talons together and cartwheel down towards the ground, letting go at the very last moment.
They can be playful, too. Bald eagles have been seen playing with plastic bottles, and one observer watched six eagles passing sticks to each other in mid-air.
Where to see bald eagles
The best place to look for bald eagles is near water, where they hunt for fish.
In winter, when lakes freeze further north, many eagles gather where the water stays open. They can be seen near dams, where fish collect, and even near fish-processing plants and rubbish tips, where food is easy to find.
National parks keep a careful eye on their eagles. In 2023, staff in Yellowstone National Park checked 31 bald eagle territories, and the nests they could follow produced eight young eagles.
A great comeback
Bald eagles were once in serious trouble. Hunting and poisonous pesticides killed many of them, and in 1967 they were listed as endangered in 43 states.
People worked hard to save them. Their habitat was protected, killing them was restricted, and the use of harmful pesticides was limited. Slowly, the eagles came back.
By 2007 they had recovered so well that they were taken off the endangered species list. Today their conservation status is Low Concern.
Bald eagles can live a long time. The oldest known wild bald eagle was at least 38 years old.
Three things people get wrong
Bald eagles are not bald. Their heads are covered in white feathers.
Young bald eagles do not have white heads. They are mottled brown and only get their white head and tail at four or five years old.
Bald eagles do not always catch their own food. They often steal fish from ospreys and other animals, and they eat carrion too.
Did you know? The biggest bald eagle nest on record, in Florida, was 2.9 metres across and 6.1 metres tall.
Try it
Lay out a circle of string 1.5 metres across on the floor. That is about the size of an ordinary bald eagle nest. Now imagine one twice as wide and taller than a house.
Knowledge check
Why is the bald eagle called bald?
Show answer
Because its white-feathered head can look bare from a distance; it is not really bald.
Which bird does the bald eagle often steal fish from?
Show answer
The osprey.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called a bald eagle?
The bald eagle is not really bald. Its head is covered in white feathers, which stand out against its dark brown body and can look bare from a distance.
What do bald eagles eat?
Bald eagles mainly eat fish, such as salmon, herring and catfish. They also eat waterbirds, reptiles, crabs, rabbits and carrion, and often steal fish from ospreys.
How big is a bald eagle’s nest?
A typical bald eagle nest is 5 to 6 feet across and 2 to 4 feet tall. The largest on record, in Florida, was 2.9 metres across and 6.1 metres tall.
When do bald eagles get their white heads?
Bald eagles get their fully white head and tail when they are four or five years old. Younger eagles are mottled brown and white.
How many eggs does a bald eagle lay?
A bald eagle lays one to three eggs, usually two. Both parents keep them warm, and they hatch after 34 to 36 days.
Are bald eagles endangered?
No. Bald eagles were listed as endangered in 43 states in 1967, but after protection they recovered and were removed from the endangered list in 2007.
Sources
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: bald eagle overview — the national emblem, appearance, where to find them, food stealing, Franklin’s letter, record nests and the oldest bird
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: bald eagle life history — habitat, food, nest building, eggs, incubation and courtship
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: bald eagle identification — how adults and young eagles look at different ages
- US National Park Service, Yellowstone: bald eagle — age of adult plumage, eggs, fledging, diet and the species’ recovery and delisting
Bald Eagle Facts Quiz
- Where do bald eagles usually build their nests?
- Why do many bald eagles gather near dams in winter?
- What can a bald eagle do if it catches a fish too heavy to lift?
- Which bird did Benjamin Franklin think would have been a better national bird?
- Which bird does most of the nest building?
- What do bald eagles line the inside of their nest with?
- In one courtship display, what do a male and female bald eagle do?
- Which of these is NOT something bald eagles have been seen playing with?
- What two things killed many bald eagles in the past?
- Which of these helped bald eagles come back?
- How far can young bald eagles travel in their first years?
