17 Interesting Facts About Bald Eagle

Being found everywhere in all over the United States and Canada, Bald Eagle is the national symbol of the United States of America. Once on the verge of extinction, now these beautiful birds are expanding their horizon in North America. Having special qualities from its eyes to talons, a bald eagle is one of the most adept predators in North America. To know more, let’s dig into some interesting facts about Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Bald Eagle.

Bald EagleImage: Flickr

1. They Are Not Bald

Head of Bald Eagle
Head of Bald Eagle

Bald Eagles are not bald, actually, the name has been originated from the old English word, ‘Balde’ means white hair.
Source: kids.nationalgeographic.com, Image: Pixabay

2. Young Ones Aren’t Bald

Immature Bald Eagle
Immature Bald Eagle

The juvenile bald eagles are not bald; they have brown heads. A bald eagle gets mature at the age of 5, that’s when it gets white hair.
Source: mentalfloss.com, Image: Flickr

3. Tail Is Also Bald

Tail of Bald Eagle
The tail of Bald Eagle

Like head, their tail is also bald. However, juvenile bald eagles don’t have head and tail white but brown.
Source: britannica.com, Image: fws.gov

4. They Are North Americans

Distribution of the Bald Eagle
Distribution of the Bald Eagle

Mostly, the bald eagle is found over all 50 states of the United States of America and 13 states of Canada. A very small population of the bald eagle is also found in Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, and Ireland.
Source: Wikipedia, Image: Wikimedia

5. It Sounds Like Dub In Hollywood Movies

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The bald eagle sounds like a kind of high-pitched giggle or a weak scream. This voice is so unimpressive that Hollywood voice editors often dub over bald eagle calls.
Source: mentalfloss.com, GIF: reactiongifs.net

6. Incredible Eyesight

Image result for Bald Eagle eye GIF

In the animal kingdom, Bald Eagles and Falcons have the best eyesight. These eyes are designed to spot the prey from high above; from around a mile away, and then swoop down fast to catch it. They have six or seven times sharper vision than that of a human.  They can also see in ultraviolet light.
Source: farmersalmanac.com, GIF: Gfycat

7. Great Divers On Earth

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One of the most interesting facts is that they can dive and glide at speeds of over 100 miles per hour.
Source: farmersalmanac.com, GIF: gfycat.com

8. How Big Is That?

Wingspan of Bald Eagle
The wingspan of Bald Eagle

They are about 71 to 100 cm in length with 1.8 to 2.3 meters wingspan and mass is normally between 3 kg to 6.3 kg.
Source: allaboutbirds.org, Image: Wikipedia

9. Female Is Heavier Than Male

Bald Eagle couple
Bald Eagle couple

In other animal kingdoms, males are larger and heavier than females but in some, the female is heavier than male. One such case is here. In bald eagle family, the female is heavier than male. A male has 25% less weight than that of a female.
Source: mentalfloss.com, Image: Pixabay

10. Largest Nest

Nest of Bald Eagle
Nest of Bald Eagle

Bald Eagles build largest nests in all bird species. These nests are also heavy and made up of twigs and sticks. The largest recorded bald eagle’s nest was discovered in St. Petersburg, Florida. It was about 20 feet deep and 9.5 feet in diameter. It weighed around to 3 tons.
Source: farmersalmanac.com, Image: Flickr

11. They Take Sea-Food

Image result for Bald Eagle fishing GIF

Normally, they snatch food, but they hunt mostly fish. They can even hunt land animals, like rats, mice, squirrel, snakes, etc. With the help of their visual power, they spot prey from a mile high in the sky and swoop down to catch it. They can lift the prey weighing as much as their own weight and sometimes more than it.
Source: animalplanet.com, GIF: Reddit

12. Deadly Talons

Talans of Bald Eagle
Talans of Bald Eagle

Their talons are yellow in color and dangerous for their prey. They are very sharp and strong. Just before hitting the ground or the surface of the water, they unlock their talons, spread their wings, catch the prey, and fly back up into the sky.
Source: farmersalmanac.com, Image: dinocro.info

13. Love For Life

Bald Eagle Pair
Bald Eagle Pair

The bald eagle select one partner for life. Only in the case of death or disappearance, the other one will find a new partner.
Source: animalfactguide.com, Image: Flickr

14. They Mate Where They Were Born

Bald Eagle Chicks
Bald Eagle Chicks

In most cases, the bald eagles mate where they were born. For laying up eggs, they go to their native place and at one time, a female can lay up to 7 eggs, however, normally, it lays around 2 or 3. Laying eggs takes place mostly in February.
Source: Wikipedia, Image: Pixabay

15. Pretty Long Life

They have an average life span of 20 to 30 years. However, they can live to be 35 years old or more.
Source: kids.nationalgeographic.com

16. Migration To The USA And Mexico

In winters, the bald eagles migrate to the United States and Mexico from Canada to avoid the chilly cold. They return to Canada in the summer seasons.
Source: mentalfloss.com

17. They Are Good Parents

Bald Eagles with their chicks
Bald Eagles with their chicks

The male and the female bald eagles take care of their kids very well. They both feed their young ones. The parents cover their young ones in the nest with its wings, like an umbrella, to protect them from hot Sun and heavy rainfall or snowfall.
Source: farmersalmanac.com, Image: Flickr