eagle

Introduction
For thousands of years eagles have held a special place in the human imagination because of
their size, strength, and bold appearance. The golden eagle has been a symbol of power at
least since the days of the ancient Romans, and in 1782 the bald eagle was chosen to be the
national symbol of the United States. Eagles are birds of prey that are related to vultures,
hawks, and falcons. They belong to the scientific family Accipitridae.
Where eagles live

Eagles are found on every continent except Antarctica. Scientists have classified them into
more than 50 species, or types. Only two of these, the bald eagle and the golden eagle, live in
North America. The golden eagle can also be found in Europe, Asia, and North Africa.
Different types of eagles thrive in different environments. Bald eagles generally live in areas
with tall trees near rivers and large lakes. Golden eagles often inhabit dry, mountainous
regions.
Physical features
Eagles are heavily built birds. Females are generally larger than males. An adult female bald
eagle, for example, may be as long as 43 inches (1.1 meters) and have a wingspan as wide as
8 feet (2.4 meters). An adult male bald eagle is about 36 inches (0.9 meter) long with a
wingspan of 61/2 feet (2 meters). Golden eagles are similar in size.
The feathers of most eagles are a combination of brown, black, gray, and white. An adult bald
eagle has dark brown feathers on its body and white feathers on its head and neck. The
contrast between these colors led early European settlers in North America to call the bird
bald. The beak, eyes, and feet are yellow. The golden eagle is dark brown except for golden
or lighter brown feathers on its head and neck. It has yellow feet, dark eyes, and a gray beak.
All eagles have physical traits that make them great hunters. Their strong talons (claws) allow
them to grasp prey animals. Their strong beak is used to tear into the prey. Eagles also have
sharp senses of sight and hearing. They are able to see and hear prey from high in the sky.
Behavior
Eagles hunt during the day. They spread their wings and soar while searching for prey below.
Eagles are usually not swift enough to catch other birds in flight. Instead they try to surprise
prey on the ground or in the water.
The preferred prey of an eagle depends largely on where the bird lives. The bald eagle and
other types that live near water eat mostly fish. They are commonly called sea eagles, or fish
eagles. These birds snatch fish out of the water with their talons. A bald eagle will sometimes
force an osprey, another bird that eats fish, to give up its catch. Besides live fish, sea eagles
prey on ducks and other waterfowl, snakes, turtles, and crabs. They also eat carrion, or dead
animals.
Eagles that live in forests, grasslands, or other areas away from water eat carrion and hunt for
a variety of animals. The golden eagle feeds on small to medium-sized mammals such as
rabbits, ground squirrels, and foxes. The harpy eagles of South America and the South Pacific
eat monkeys and sloths, which they take from tree branches in the forest. The martial eagle of
Africa hunts lizards, plump game birds, and even baboons and young antelopes. The harrier,
or serpent, eagles of Europe, Asia, and Africa prefer to eat snakes.
Reproduction
Eagles keep the same mating partner for life. They generally use the same nest year after
year, sometimes building it up to enormous size. Some eagle nests weigh more than a ton.
Bald eagle pairs usually make their nest at the top of a tall tree near water. Golden eagles are
more likely to nest on cliffs. The female generally lays one to three eggs. Bald eagle eggs
take about five weeks to hatch, while golden eagle eggs take six weeks or more. Both parents
feed and care for the young, which are called eaglets. At the age of 10 or 11 weeks the eaglets
are ready to fly.
Survival issues
People once killed eagles in large numbers because they believed the birds were a threat to
livestock. Some people also hunted eagles for sport. Now many eagles are protected by laws
that limit or ban hunting.
The use of the pesticide DDT was another reason for a great drop in the bald eagle population
in the 20th century. In the 1940s the poison became widely used to kill insects that destroyed
crops. At the same time, however, DDT also polluted waterways. When bald eagles ate fish
that had been poisoned, DDT began to build up in the birds' bodies. The shells of eggs laid by
the affected eagles were so thin that they broke in the nest. The result was that fewer young
were produced. By the early 1960s the number of bald eagles in the mainland United States
had dropped to fewer than 450 nesting pairs. The United States banned the use of DDT in
1972, leading to a great recovery of the bald eagle population. By 2000 the population had
increased to more than 6,300 pairs.

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Introduction

Where eagles live

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