Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Their massive nests, called aeries, are the largest of any North American bird and can weigh as much as a small car.
- Scientific name
- Haliaeetus leucocephalus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Accipitriformes › Accipitridae › Haliaeetus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Coasts, rivers, and large lakes with tall trees for nesting and roosting.
- Diet
- Opportunistic carnivore, primarily eating fish, but also waterfowl, small mammals, and carrion.
- Range
- Canada, United States, Northern Mexico
- Size
- Wingspan of 1.8 to 2.3 meters; weight of 3 to 6.3 kilograms.
- Lifespan
- 20-30 years in the wild
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Lead poisoning from spent ammunition, habitat destruction, and collisions with power lines or vehicles.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless but defensive near nests. Maintain at least 100 yards distance. Do not feed. If found injured, do not handle; contact a local wildlife rehabilitator or game warden immediately.
The bald eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus , from Greek hali "sea", aiētos "eagle", leuco "white", cephalos "head") is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle ( Haliaeetus albicilla ). Its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico. It is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old-growth...
Photo: Marcel_Pepin, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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