# Bald Eagle - Source: Kiddle (kids.kiddle.co), CC BY-SA 3.0, Kiddle encyclopedia, adapted from Wikipedia - Reading level: Grade 5 - Subjects: Birds, Animals - Topics: bald, eagles, eagle, live, fish, water - Length: 1241 words, about 9 min - Published: 2026-09-20 - Original: - Page: - Open in Sprouts: The **bald eagle** (*Haliaeetus leucocephalus*) is a large bird of prey that lives in North America. It is the national bird of the United States of America. This amazing bird is a type of sea eagle. You can find it in most of Canada, all of the United States, and the northern part of Mexico. Bald eagles love to live near big areas of water, like rivers and lakes. They need tall trees nearby to build their nests and find plenty of food. It's called "bald" because of its white head and neck. The word "bald" here comes from an old word meaning "white-headed." The bald eagle almost disappeared from the United States in the late 20th century. But thanks to conservation efforts, its numbers are now much stronger! ![Bald eagle about to fly in Alaska (2016).jpg](https://sprout.rootsofreason.org/media/kiddle-bald-eagle-e79f172e26.jpg) **Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".** ## What Does a Bald Eagle Look Like? The bald eagle is a very large bird. It usually stands about 70 to 102 centimeters (28 to 40 inches) tall. Its wings can spread out to an amazing 2.44 meters (8 feet)! Female eagles are bigger than males. Adult females weigh about 5.8 kilograms (12.8 pounds). Males weigh around 4.1 kilograms (9 pounds). Adult bald eagles have a brown body with a white head and tail. They also have bright yellow feet with huge talons (claws). Their beak is yellow and hooked. Both males and females have the same feather colors. Young bald eagles look different. Their wings are brown and often have white speckles. They keep these colors until they are about five years old. The size of the bird depends on where it lives. The smallest bald eagles are found in Florida. There, an adult male might weigh only 2.3 kilograms (5 pounds). The largest ones live in Alaska. Big females there can weigh up to 7.5 kilograms (16.5 pounds). ![Juvenile Bald Eagle Sand](https://sprout.rootsofreason.org/media/kiddle-bald-eagle-eb4ad7e737.jpg) Young Bald Eagle on sand Bald eagles are related to the golden eagle. But bald eagles have bigger heads and beaks. Also, their legs do not have feathers, unlike golden eagles. When bald eagles "talk," they make weak chirps and whistles. Young birds make shriller sounds than adults. In nature, bald eagles usually live for about 20 years. Some can live for 30 years. If they live in zoos, they can live much longer. ## Why is it Called "Bald"? ![Haliaeetus leucocephalus-ad-flight-USFWS](https://sprout.rootsofreason.org/media/kiddle-bald-eagle-239cc391ff.jpg) A Bald Eagle flying in Alaska This sea eagle gets its name from its white head. The word "bald" in its name comes from an old English word, "piebald." This word means "having a white head." Its scientific name, *Haliaeetus leucocephalus*, also describes its head. *Haliaeetus* is Latin for "sea eagle." *Leucocephalus* means "white head." The famous scientist Carl Linnaeus first described the bald eagle in his 18th-century book *Systema Naturae*. Linnaeus created the system we use today to name living things. There are two main types of bald eagles, called subspecies: - ***H. l. leucocephalus*** was named by Linnaeus in 1766. This type is found in the southern United States and Baja California. - ***H. l. washingtoniensis*** was named by Audubon in 1827. This northern type is larger than the southern one. It lives in the northern United States, Canada, and Alaska. The bald eagle looks a lot like the Eurasian white-tailed eagle. Both birds have white heads and are about the same size. These two types of eagles likely separated long ago near the North Pacific Ocean. The white-tailed eagle lives in Eurasia, and the bald eagle lives in North America. ## Where Do Bald Eagles Live? ![Bald Eagle and salmon](https://sprout.rootsofreason.org/media/kiddle-bald-eagle-ea930775ed.jpg) Bald eagle with a salmon The bald eagle's natural home is across most of North America. This includes most of Canada, all of the United States, and northern Mexico. Most bald eagles live near large bodies of water. They like seas, rivers, big lakes, and oceans. These places have lots of fish, which is their favorite food. Bald eagles need strong, old trees to live, sleep, and build their nests. They prefer trees that are safe from predators. The most important thing is that the trees are close to water. Bald eagles usually prefer to be away from humans. They are mostly found in wild places with few people. However, some bald eagles have started living in city parks. For example, a family of bald eagles recently moved into Harlem, in New York City! ## How Do Bald Eagles Behave? ![Haliaeetus leucocephalus-whale-USFWS](https://sprout.rootsofreason.org/media/kiddle-bald-eagle-0550462056.jpg) Eating whale carrion Bald eagles are fast flyers. They can glide or flap their wings at speeds of 56–70 kilometers per hour (35–43 mph). When carrying a fish, they fly a bit slower, around 48 km/h (30 mph). They can dive at speeds of 120–160 km/h (75–99 mph), but they don't dive very often. Many bald eagles migrate, meaning they travel long distances between their summer and winter homes. If a bald eagle's home has water that stays unfrozen all year, it might stay there. But if the water freezes in winter, the eagle must fly south or to the coast to find food. ### What Do Bald Eagles Eat? Bald eagles mostly eat fish. In the Pacific Northwest, they especially love to eat spawning trout and salmon. Sometimes, eagles eat carrion (dead animals), especially in winter. They might also eat leftover food from campsites or garbage dumps. They also hunt other animals. These include rabbits, hares, raccoons, muskrats, beavers, and even young deer. They also eat birds like ducks, gulls, and geese. Reptiles, amphibians, and crabs are also part of their diet. To catch fish, an eagle swoops down over the water. It snatches the fish with its strong talons. They eat by holding the fish with one talon and tearing the meat with the other. Eagles have special bumps on their toes called "spiricules" that help them hold slippery fish. Bald eagles have incredibly powerful talons. They have even been seen flying with a 7-kilogram (15-pound) young deer! Sometimes, if a fish is too heavy, the eagle might be pulled into the water. They can sometimes swim back to shore, but they might also drown or get too cold. Bald eagles are at the top of their food chain. Healthy adult bald eagles are not hunted by other animals in the wild. ### How Do Bald Eagles Reproduce? ![Haliaeetus leucocephalus MHNT.ZOO.2010.11.96.5](https://sprout.rootsofreason.org/media/kiddle-bald-eagle-cd59ca532a.jpg) *Haliaeetus leucocephalus* ![Haliaeetus leucocephalus1](https://sprout.rootsofreason.org/media/kiddle-bald-eagle-6eaaf666eb.jpg) Two chicks (eaglets) Bald eagles become adults when they are four or five years old. When they are ready to mate, they usually return to the place where they were born. It is believed that bald eagles mate for life. However, if one mate dies or disappears, the other will find a new partner. If a pair tries for a long time but cannot have chicks, they might split up and look for new mates. When bald eagles court each other, they make calls and show off their flying skills. Two mates might fly high into the sky. Then, they lock their talons together and tumble downwards. They only let go right before they hit the ground! The bald eagle's nest is the largest of any bird in North America. This is because they use the same nest year after year. Each year, they add more to it. A nest can become 4 meters (13 feet) deep and 2.5 meters (8 feet) across. It can even weigh 1 ton! One nest in Florida was found to be 6.1 meters (20 feet) deep and 2.9 meters (9.5 feet) across. It weighed 3 tons! ## Picture credits - Andy Morffew from Itchen Abbas, Hampshire, UK, CC BY 2.0 () - KetaDesign, CC BY 3.0 () - Public domain () - Brocken Inaglory, CC BY-SA 4.0 () - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain () - Roger Culos, CC BY-SA 4.0 () - David Menke, Public domain ()