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Group Name:

Aves = Birds (Hawk Family)

Habitat:

Bald eagles are commonly seen along rivers, lakes, and coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest.

Characteristics:

1. Both the adult male and female bald eagles have dark brown bodies with solid white heads and tails.

2. The hooked beak of the adult bald eagle is yellow.

3. Juvenile birds are a dark brown overall.

4. Bald eagles are good fishermen, diving for live fish they see near the water's surface. They also may be scavengers. They often will eat dead fish which wash up onto a river bank. They have been known to steal fish from ospreys.

5. The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States.

6. Bald eagles were once considered endangered in the United States as the result of heavy pesticide use. The pesticides were consumed via the fish they ate and caused the females to lay eggs with egg shells so thin that the eggs were easily crushed. Currently, most populations of bald eagles have increased to the point where they have been redsignated with a threatened status.

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