I am sure that all of you have seen a picture of the Bald Eagle whether you live in American or not. This majestic bird is the national bird symbol of the United States of America. The Bald Eagle has an outstanding plumage - an adult Bald Eagle is evenly brown with a white head and tail, whereas the plumage of the juvenile Bald Eagle is brown, speckled with white (until it is sexually mature). The Bald Eagle is a very large bird, with a body length of 70 ~ 102 cm, a wingspan of 1.68 ~ 2.44 m, and a mass of 2.5 ~ 7 kg. The females are about 25% larger than the males. The size of the Bald Eagle varies by location (the smallest specimens are from Florida and the largest are from Alaska). The average lifespan of a Bald Eagle in the wild is about 20 years. However, in captivity they tend to live somewhat longer.
The Bald Eagle is found near large bodies of open water in Canada and Alaska, USA and Northern Mexico. They depend on the abundant food supply that can be found swimming around these water bodies, as well as old-growth trees for nesting. These powerful birds of prey use their large talons to capture fish out of the water. However, they also get many of their meals by scavenging dead or decaying flesh or stealing kills from other animals. They will also capture and eat small mammals.
Bald eagles are believed to mate for life. On the other hand, if one member of a pair disappears or dies, the other will select a new mate. The nest, which is known as the largest of any bird in North America, is used over and over again during many years. These nests are built out of enormous sticks, preferably high above the ground and tend between one and three eggs each year, although it is rare for all three chicks to successfully fly.
I´d like to share with you an interesting issue about the Bald Eagle call that we normally hear on TV. Apparently it is completely wrong. Listen to the recordings that I have included below and you will understand what I am talking about. The 1st one is the Red-Tailed Hawk call and the 2nd is the Bald Eagle call. So tell me, which one sounds more imposing and influential to you? Well the truth is that we have heard many times on TV the sound of the Red-Tailed Hawk to make the Bald Eagle sound more influential than it truly is. Well at least now we won’t be fooled the next time we hear the Bald Eagle call on TV - for instance on the opening credits of the Colbert Report!
Bald eagles are believed to mate for life. On the other hand, if one member of a pair disappears or dies, the other will select a new mate. The nest, which is known as the largest of any bird in North America, is used over and over again during many years. These nests are built out of enormous sticks, preferably high above the ground and tend between one and three eggs each year, although it is rare for all three chicks to successfully fly.
I´d like to share with you an interesting issue about the Bald Eagle call that we normally hear on TV. Apparently it is completely wrong. Listen to the recordings that I have included below and you will understand what I am talking about. The 1st one is the Red-Tailed Hawk call and the 2nd is the Bald Eagle call. So tell me, which one sounds more imposing and influential to you? Well the truth is that we have heard many times on TV the sound of the Red-Tailed Hawk to make the Bald Eagle sound more influential than it truly is. Well at least now we won’t be fooled the next time we hear the Bald Eagle call on TV - for instance on the opening credits of the Colbert Report!
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