Bald Eagle Facts: Wingspan, Speed, Habitat & Recovery Story

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is North America's most iconic bird of prey and the national symbol of the United States since 1782. Despite its name, the eagle isn't bald. The term comes from the old English word 'balde' meaning white, referring to its distinctive white head. These magnificent raptors inhabit areas near large bodies of water from Alaska to northern Mexico, with populations making a remarkable recovery from near extinction.

Physical Characteristics and Vision

Bald eagles are large, powerful birds with distinctive features. Adults develop their iconic white head and tail feathers at 4 to 5 years. Juveniles are entirely brown with mottled white markings. They have massive hooked yellow beaks, powerful yellow feet with sharp 2 inch talons, and wingspans reaching 7.5 feet. Females are 25 to 30% larger than males, a trait called reverse sexual dimorphism. Their extraordinary eyesight is 4 to 8 times sharper than human vision, allowing them to spot rabbits from 2 miles away and see fish beneath water surfaces. Two focal points enable simultaneous forward and peripheral vision.

Hunting and Diet

Bald eagles are opportunistic carnivores with fish comprising 60 to 90% of their diet, particularly salmon, herring, and catfish. They hunt by swooping down and snatching fish from water surfaces with their talons. When fish are scarce, they hunt waterfowl, small mammals, and occasionally carrion. Their grip strength reaches 400 to 1,000 PSI, ten times stronger than human hands, allowing them to carry prey weighing up to half their body weight. Eagles are also notorious kleptoparasites, frequently stealing food from ospreys and other birds.

Nesting and Reproduction

Bald eagles build North America's largest nests, with some structures reaching 13 feet deep, 8 feet wide, and weighing over 2 tons. Pairs return to the same nest annually, adding new material each season. These massive structures are typically built in large trees near water or on coastal cliffs. Eagles form monogamous pairs often mating for life, with courtship involving dramatic aerial displays where pairs lock talons and cartwheel through the sky. Females lay 1 to 3 eggs, with both parents sharing 35 day incubation duties. Eaglets develop rapidly, fledging at 10 to 14 weeks, though only 50% survive their first year.

Habitat and Migration

Bald eagles inhabit diverse environments but prefer areas near large water bodies with abundant fish and tall nesting trees. They're found throughout North America, with highest concentrations in Alaska hosting 70,000 birds. Northern eagles migrate south during winter to find open water, with some traveling over 2,000 miles to major wintering sites like the Klamath Basin, Mississippi River corridor, and Chesapeake Bay. Southern populations remain in their territories year round.

Conservation Success Story

The bald eagle's recovery from near extinction represents one of conservation's greatest successes. By the 1960s, only 400 nesting pairs remained in the continental United States, decimated by hunting, habitat loss, and DDT pesticide poisoning that caused eggshell thinning. After DDT was banned in 1972 and eagles were protected under the Endangered Species Act in 1973, populations rebounded dramatically. By 2007, bald eagles were removed from the endangered list, with over 10,000 nesting pairs. Today, populations exceed 300,000 individuals, demonstrating that dedicated conservation efforts can reverse species decline.