Reviewing bald eagle facts reveals the fascinating history of a bird revered by both Native Americans and Americans but also tells the sad story of an creature almost driven to extinction by humans.
During the mid-twentieth century, the bald eagle population was reduced to less than a thousand in 48 states due to illegal shooting of the bird, loss of habitat and pesticide use, specifically DDT.
Ornithologists discovered that DDT caused the birds to lay eggs made of thin, fragile shells because it interfered with the bald eagle's metabolism. When mother eagles sat on the eggs to warm them, the shells were breaking and killing babies.
Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940 tried to conserve the American bald eagle by prohibiting people from taking or destroying the bird's nests, eggs and feathers. Bald eagle facts and statistics tell us that by 1982, it was estimated 5000 bald eagle breeding pairs were in the U.S., up from the 400 estimated breeding pairs existing in 1963.
In 1995, the U.S. government removed the bird from its list of endangered species and placed it on the "threatened" list of animals considered to have less than adequate populations. Finally, in 2007, bald eagles moved off the list as a "threatened" species and into a "least concern" category comprising the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Before going on with the facts about the bald eagles, I want to mention two other great pages on this site, also about the bald eagle, Bald Eagle Pictures and Bald Eagle Drawings.
• Eagles are "birds of prey" or "raptors" which are birds that hunt
food "on the wing" or by flying in the air and rarely do they hunt
food while on the ground.
The American bald eagle is considered a "sea eagle," the only sea
eagle indigenous to North America.
Bald eagle facts about reproduction behavior tells us that once
mature eagles have found a suitable habitat near plentiful water
sources, a female will lay two or three eggs annually in nests that
are frequently reused.
Today bald eagles live in all of the lower 48 states but have also been
seen in Central Mexico. When it is time to breed during summer, bald
eagles will fly to the northern U.S. and Canada and build nests
about three months before laying eggs.
• Bald eagles have two foveae instead of one, which allows them to
see sideways and forward simultaneously. They also possess many more
foveal cells than humans.
Investigating bald eagle facts involve examining other birds of
prey, which possess similar traits and behaviors of the bald eagle.
These birds include:
• Buzzards
Bald eagle facts indicate that although they are both birds of prey,
the bald eagle and vulture differ in ways pertaining to their
methods of obtaining and consuming prey. While eagles will attack
perfectly healthy animals, vultures will only attack creatures that
are already sick or wounded.
Included with various bald eagle facts is fascinating information
about another member of the eagle family called Stellar's sea eagle.
Also referred to as the white-shouldered eagle or by its Japanese
name O-washi, this eagle is found on one of Japan's main islands,
Hokkaido but flies to eastern Russia to breed, near the Kamchatka
Peninsula and coasts of the Sea of Okhotsk.
A few Stellar's sea
eagles have even been seen migrating as far as the Pribilof and
Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska.
As one of the heaviest and largest eagles, Stellar's sea eagle
outweighs the American bald eagle by several pounds. Males can weigh
up to 15 pounds and females as much as 20 pounds. Bald eagles
average about nine or ten pounds.
Similar to the bald eagle in
appearance, this bird has a dark brown, almost blackish body,
yellowish eyes, unfeathered feet and powerful talons for clutching
fish and small mammals. Although
researchers do not know exactly how long a Stellar's sea eagle lives
in the wild, they suspect it is nearly the same length as a bald
eagle, around 30 years.
Smaller than bald
eagles, golden eagles are extremely agile and speedy when hunting
prey, which consists of marmots, rabbits, squirrels and even larger
animals such as foxes and deer.
Ornithologists think they also mate
for life as bald eagles, constructing enormous nests in
which female golden eagles lay anywhere from two to four eggs.
One obvious difference between bald eagle facts and golden eagle
facts is that golden eagles also prey on other birds, specifically
game birds such as grouse, turkey, pheasant and quail.
Although not
as large as buzzards or vultures, golden eagles are extremely
aggressive and will attack raptors in an attempt to chase them away
from carrion.
Competition over territory and prey sometimes occurs
with bald eagles and white-tailed eagles as well.
Bald eagle information tells us that birds of prey keep the rodent
pest population in check by eating animals that destroy crops and
cause disease such as rats, mice, hares, moles and even large
insects such as leaf-eating grasshoppers.
Additionally, the
condition of an ecosystem can be judged by the amount of raptors
inhabiting its domain.
When areas frequented by raptors seem oddly
devoid of them, something is disrupting the ecosystem and causing a
reduction in wildlife and resources.
Among the men who chose the bald eagle to dominate the National Seal
was Benjamin Franklin, who later expressed his disproval of the
choice.
Mr. Franklin wanted the
turkey to be the U.S. nation bird. He said that "it is in comparison
a much more respectable bird...a bird of courage, although a little
vain and silly...it would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the
British guards, who should presume to invade his farmyard with a red
coat on."
Fortunately, no one paid much attention to Mr. Franklin's
protests and the American bald eagle remains the symbol of the
United States today.
Considered sacred and otherworldly in numerous Native American
cultures, the bald eagle plays a central role in spiritual and
religious rituals and customs, especially its feathers, wing bones
and claws.
• The Pawnee tribe thinks of bald eagles as fertility symbols
because of the female eagle's strong maternal instinct and because
they build nests so high in mature, towering trees.
The Tachi Yokut is an Indian tribe living in California. This is an
old legend about why the ground around Tulare Lake, now a dry,
fresh-water lake located in San Joaquin Valley, California has
differently colored soil.
"At a mountain southwest from the north end of Tulare Lake the
ground is red and white. There the bald eagle, Owik, lived. He used
to take away men's wives but if they became angry he killed them.
The prairie falcon, Limik, lived farther north in the Coast Range
with the Tachi. The eagle took away his wife. Then the prairie
falcon pursued him. He fought him. He broke his head with a rock and
killed him. The bald eagle's brains and blood turned the ground
white and red.” (From the website www.firstpeople.us)
An old Kwakiutl Tribe legend tells of how the eagle came to have
such excellent eyesight.
The United States currently enforces an eagle feather law called 50
CFR 22, which states that only Native Americans possessing the means
to certify their ancestry in a tribe formally recognized by the U.S.
government can legally obtain and use eagle feathers for the purpose
of spiritual or religious ceremonies. This also allows eagle
feathers to be used as heirlooms in traditional Native American
culture.
As a symbol of freedom for Americans and as a special, integral
aspect of Native American creation myths, the bald eagle deserves
protection and the ability to live a liberated life unfettered by
human cruelty and human disregard for the beauty of the natural
world. We can never learn enough bald eagle facts about this
magnificent bird of prey, which means so much to so many people.
Although studied by naturalists to understand and share knowledge of
the bald eagle , perhaps these words by Alfred Lord Tennyson helps to capture
the character of the bird:
The Eagle
Learning about the bald eagle as well as the mystery and legends deepens
the respect for this almost lost magnificent bird of prey.
If you want to know more about the bald eagle, you can visit other
websites like:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/bald-eagle/
Back to the top of this page about
Bald Eagle Facts
Visit other pages here on Clipartqueen related to this one, and
Homepage.
• American bald eagles and golden
eagles inhabit North America, while other eagles live in Africa,
Eurasia, South America and Australia.
• Eagles are considerably
larger than other birds, with many of them much larger than other
raptor-type birds. Vultures are the only birds of prey bigger than
eagles.
• Eagles have extremely acute eyesight enhanced by
enormous pupils that greatly reduce the amount of diffraction
produced by incoming illumination
• Bald eagles can have
wingspans as long as 90 inches that is seven feet across.
•
Female eagles are larger than males.
• Both male and female
eagles possess the same coloring, with white heads and tails and
brown bodies. Feet, irises and beaks are bright yellow.
• Bald
eagle facts about hunting style reveals the existence of a hind toe
talon that pierces a prey's heart and lungs while being held in the
grip of the eagle's strong front talons.
• Bald eagles can begin
reproducing when they are around five years old.
• Nests
constructed with sticks and twigs by these birds are quite large, up
to eight feet wide and 12 feet deep
• Researchers think that bald
eagles mate for life but have yet to verify this as true.
• Bald
eagles can live up to 30 years in the wild. In captivity, they have
been known to live as long as 50 years.
• Bald eagle facts reveal
that these birds have no real predators to worry about, other than
humans. Hawks may take advantage of an injured juvenile but since
eagles remain airborne or perched high in trees, other animals have
no way of preying on them.
• Bald eagles are not bald; the white
feathers covering their heads make them seem "bald" when viewed from
a distance.
• The average number of feathers found on mature bald
eagles is around 6500 to 7000.
Habitat
In fact, research concerning habitat
preferences has shown that eagles prefer lakes with a circumference
of at least seven to eight miles!
They also require sturdy, mature
trees, such as hardwood or coniferous trees that are growing near
watery areas, which can withstand the weight of bald eagles as well
as their nesting and roosting habits.
Bald eagles are disturbed by
human activity and choose habitats usually one to two miles away
from populated areas.
It has been seen in numerous
regions, from the Louisiana bayous to New England to even the Sonora
Desert. However, observers are most likely to spot an eagle in
Canada or Alaska, where they are most populous.
Incubation is around one month, with babies
developing the ability to fly in 90 days. Generally, only one eagle
survives infancy and childhood.
Evolutionary History
• Eagles are able to see fish while
gliding or soaring many hundreds of feet above water, a difficult if
not impossible feat for humans to accomplish.
• Bald eagles have
two eyelids: one for closing during sleep and one that keeps the
eyes clear of dust by sliding across the eyes every two or three
seconds. This "inner" eyelid is a thin, moist piece of skin called
the nictitating membrane that allows the eagle to continue watching
for prey because of its translucent quality
• Bald eagle facts
indicate that eagles can see colors, like all other birds
• An
eagle's vision is more than four times better than that of someone
who has 20/20 vision
• A bald eagle's slightly jutting eyebrows
provide added protection against injury. It also prevents the sun
from blinding them when scanning for potential prey in the afternoon
sun.
Other Birds of Prey
• Condors
• Hawks
• Ospreys
• Vultures
•
Falcons
• Kites
• Harriers
• Sandhill crane
• Various
sea birds such as gulls, pelicans, storks, albatrosses, terns and
frigate birds
Having a bald head helps the
vulture stay cleaner when he is scavenging badly injured or dead
carcasses. This baldness also promotes the vulture's thermoregulating system, which helps keep them cool in warmer
climates. Ornithologists also think that people may have mistaken
vultures for bald eagles at one time, hence the name "bald" eagle.
Bald Eagle Versus Stellar's Sea Eagle
Golden Eagle Facts
Bald Eagles and other Raptors
Because these birds are at the top of their
specific food chain, the eagle family of birds relies on rich water
resources as well as trees and other flora needed by smaller
creatures to survive.
The American Bald Eagle as a Symbol of the United States
Chosen in 1782 to represent the American National
Bird, the American bald eagle can now also be found on U.S. currency
as well as parts of numerous organizational and company emblems.
About the American bald eagle Franklin wrote: "I wish that
the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our
country.
He is a bird of bad moral character; he does not get his
living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead tree
where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the labor of the
hawk...and takes the fish from him... He is therefore by no means a
proper emblem for the brave and honest...of America.”
Bald Eagles and Native American Culture
Some Indian cultures consider the American bald eagle to
be a spiritual messenger between the human world and the world of
the ancient gods, or the Creator.
Eagle feathers are traditionally a
part of ceremonial dress within Native American tribes as well.
Other bald eagle facts in regards to Native Americans include:
• When Plains
Indians once performed the Sun Dance, they used whistles created
with eagle wing bones.
• Some Native American tribes believe
eagles carry a sick person's prayers back to the gods.
• It is
considered an extreme honor by some indigenous cultures to be
awarded with an American bald eagle feather.
• Many Native
Americans believe that the Creator placed birds in the sky
immediately upon making the world.
• An eagle's wings symbolize
harmony between females and males.
• Anyone owning an eagle
feather should show it respect by keeping it in a safe place that is
visible to others. It should never be hidden away in cupboards or
drawers. Bald eagle facts concerning Native American beliefs state
that those honored by possessing a bald eagle feather should hang it
on the wall.
• At one time in their history, Native American
males would have rather had a tepee or horse taken from them than
lose their American bald eagle feathers. To lose or have his
feathers stolen would have been considered a great dishonor.
•
Cherokees once thought of the golden eagle as a significant symbol
of victory in war.
• Choctaw Indians consider the bald eagle as a
symbol of peace.
Indian Myths about the Bald Eagle
Tachi Yokut Bald Eagle Legend
Kwakiutl Tribe American Bald Eagle Legend
According to myth, the American bald eagle
once had poor eyesight. However, because the eagle was able to soar
over treetops, an old Indian chief asked the eagle to keep watch for
signs of warring tribes' canoes.
The eagle wanted to really help
the chief so he asked the slug, which had the best eyesight of all
other animals, to trade eyes with him, but just until the threat of
invading canoes had passed.
However, after the slug agreed and the
eagle's duty to the old Indian chief no longer existed, the eagle
did not want to give back the slug's good eyes.
As a result, the
eagle retained his keen eyesight, while the poor slug is now slow
and mostly blind.
The Eagle Feather Law
Additionally,
bald eagles are strictly protected by the federal government and
owning one as a pet can cause serious trouble for those who are not
professional wildlife rehabilitation officers.
Even these individuals
need special licenses just to transport injured bald eagles to
veterinary hospitals or to take bald eagles that have been displaced
by man-made environmental damage to other, more appropriate
habitats.
He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the
sun in lonely lands,
Ring'd with the azure world, he stands.
The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
He watches from his mountain
walls,
And like a thunderbolt he falls.
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