bald eagle

bald eagle

Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

(credit: Alexander Sprunt, IV)

Species of sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) that occurs inland along rivers and large lakes. Strikingly handsome, it is the only eagle native solely to North America, and it has been the U.S. national bird since 1782. The adult, about 40 in. (1 m) long with a wingspan of 6.5 ft (2 m), is dark brown with white head and tail and yellow beak, eyes, and feet. Bald eagles snatch fish at the water surface, rob osprey of fish, and eat carrion. They nest in lone trees, often on river islands. Though still protected in the U.S., the bald eagle is no longer considered an endangered species.

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bald eagle

national bird of the U.S.; native only to North America. [Am. Culture: EB, I: 753]

See : America

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bald eagle

U.S. national bird whose white head looks bald. [Am. Hist.: EB, I: 753]

See : Baldness

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bald eagle

once on verge of extinction, this bird is now protected; still an endangered species. [Ecology: Hammond, 290]

See : Extinction