Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Classification

Conservation Status

  • Bald is an antiquated word for “white headed.” 
  • Bald eagles construct the largest tree nests of any animal on earth. They can be 13 feet deep and weigh over 2,000 lbs. 
  • Loss of habitat, hunting, and pesticides brought bald eagles to the brink of extinction in the mid-20th century. Thanks to recovery efforts and protections, bald-eagles populations are now healthy and growing. 
  • Bald eagles engage in an incredible courtship ritual known as a “death spiral.” Locking talons high in the sky, they plummet to earth, performing aerial cartwheels as they fall. At the last moment, they release one another.