Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle is the United States National Bird. It is known as the "American Eagle." This Eagle was on the edge of extinction at the end of the 1900's. It now has a steady population and is in the process of being taken off the list of endangered species.

Immature bald eagles tend to be speckled brown. When they grow up, an average female has a wingspan of 7ft and weighing 9 lbs, and the average male has a wingspan of 6'6'', weighing 12.8 lbs. Florida has the smallest known Bald Eagles, weighing about 5lbs and has a wingspan of 6 ft. Alaska has the largest known Bald Eagles, weighing 15lbs and has a wingspan of 8 ft.

Bald Eagles are said to have come from other Sea Eagles. This is said to have happened at the early Miocene era.

They're habitant ranges from North America to most of Canada and Northern Mexico. The Bald Eagles are said to have been effected by pesticides. The pesticides aren't what started killing them, but when they were ingested, it either made it hard for them to lay eggs that were strong enough to hold a large bird, or it made the male eagles sterile.

In the 1960's there was less than 500 eagles that nested in pairs. The population of these eagles has been up and down since the early 1900's. The reasons for this are; bad habitat, illegal hunting, eating bad ducks containing lead shot, oil, lead, mercury, fear, disease, and dehydration.

Works cited

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bald_Eagle