Eagle is one of the biggest and certainly the most majestic of all living birds. The bald eagle scientifically known as Haliaeetus leucocephalus, is a bird of prey usually found in North America. Its specific feature is that it is sea eagle, it is divided into two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle. It is extent to most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico. It is found near large bodies of bare water with a sufficient food supply and aged-growth trees for nesting.
The bald eagle is considered as both the national bird and national animal of the United States of America. The bald eagle looks through on its impression. In the late 20th century it was on the brink of eviction in the contiguous United States. Populations have since reinforced and the species was moved from the U.S. government's list of endangered species on July 12, 1995 and transferred to the list of threatened species. It was removed from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in the Lower 48 States on June 28, 2007.
The plumage of the immature bald eagle is a dark brown overlaid with messy white streaking until the fifth year. The tail is reasonably long and slightly wedge-shaped. Males and females can be differentiated through identical plumage coloration, but sexual dimorphism is obvious in the species, in that females are 25% larger than males.When it reaches sexual maturity the beak, feet and irises are becomes bright yellow. Immature bald eagles are differentiable from the golden eagle which is known as scientifically Aquila chrysaetos.This is the only other very large, non-vulturine bird in North America, in that the former has a larger, more protruding head with a larger beak, straighter edged wings which are held flat and with a stiffer wing beat and feathers which do not completely cover the legs. When we notice it well, the golden eagle is distinctive in plumage with a more solid warm brown color than an immature bald eagle,having a highly contrasting set of white squares on the wing.Another differentiating characteristic of the immature bald eagle over the mature bird is its black, yellow-tipped beak.On the other hand the mature eagle has a fully yellow beak.
The bald eagle is an opportunistic carnivore with the capability of consuming a great variety of prey. Even eagles which are living in comperatively arid regions still typically rely primarily on fish as prey. The average lifespan of bald eagles in the wild is around 20 years.
The bald eagle is important in various Native American cultures as it is the national bird of the United States,as well as it is prominent in seals and logos, coinage, postage stamps, and other items relating to the U.S. federa.
Photo credit Google