The Mighty Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagles are representative for the American people, living across the entire Northern Continent, from Alaska and Canada to the northern side of Mexico. Almost half of the population lives in Alaska. This is like a fortress of those majestic birds, feeding with dead fish and flesh of bodies.

Bald Eagles

Considering that the population from USA is shrinking, the bald eagles in Alaska remain the only hope for this species to survive. It is one of the endangered species of vultures, and this is why non-governmental organizations started programs to protect those.

bald eagles in Alaska

There are two main species of bald eagles: the Southern one lives in the states of the South and in California, while the Northern one can be found in the Northern States such as Colorado, in Canada and Alaska.

The bald eagle was officially considered an endangered species until 1985 in some states, but a law protecting those species helped their population to grow again. Starting with 2007, the bald eagle was removed from the list of endangered species, although it could get on that list anytime.

Male and Female Bald Eagle

The males and females have a black-brown back, and yellow legs. The juvenile bald eagle is colored in a mix of brown and white. At the age of five, the eagle is considered mature, when the head and tail become white.

juvenile bald eagle

The female bald eagle has greater dimensions than the male. Even the young bald eagle can reach a wing spawn of one meter. The average weight is 6-7 kilograms, but they can weight even more at maturity. The northern species are significantly bigger compared with their southern “relatives”.
The most important characteristic of this species, which makes it distinctive amongst others is the bald eagle head, which is completely white.

young bald eagle

The bald eagle is at the top of the food chain, being vulnerable only to chemical substances of the environment, as it tends to assimilate the toxic substances of the inferior chains. It can light about two kilograms. Generally, they don’t eat domestic animals, but they find alternative methods to eat, such as the flesh of dead animals.

bald eagle head

The eagles don’t have vocal chords. The sound is produced in the sirinix, a bone cavity at the level of the neck. The screams can be considered as a method of consolidating the connection between the male and female, but it can also be a warning for predators.

bald eagle diagram

The eyes of the eagle are as big as the human eye, but it is four times “sharper”. The skeleton weights only 500 grams, being only 5% of the total weight. The feathers weight two times more. The bones of the vulture are empty on the inside. The claws and feathers are made of keratin, being resistant to weather and attacks of other predators.

eyes of the eagle

The lifespan of the bald eagle is 20 years, but a captive eagle in the state of New York lived for 48 years. They don’t sweat, so they need alternative methods to cool, such as sitting lazy in the shadows of trees. However, it is resistant to cold weather also.