Habitat: North American Waterways
Status: Least Concern
DAK Locale: Flights of Wonder
Bald Eagles are called bald, not because their white heads appear "hairless", but from the old English word for white. It is the only eagle confined to North America. It is easily recognizable by its white head. Males and females are similar in appearance with the male being larger than females. Juveniles are mostly brown with flecks of white, and are often confused with Golden Eagles who share some the same western habitat.
Bald Eagles are fish or sea eagles. As such, they generally live along waterways like rivers and lakes. For the most part, they eat mostly fish. Using their incredible vision, they will swoop close to the water, extending huge talons into the water, grabbing their prey. The large yellow beak is ideal for tearing into the fish. Eagles are not limited to fresh caught fish. They can be seen eating carrion especially during winter months when much of the water is frozen over. They also mate for life and use the same nests for years.
DDT was a popular pesticide up until the 1980s. The chemical would get into the water and concentrate in the fish. Eagles eating the fish would suffer severe consequences, most particularly weakened egg shells. This led to a rapid decline of the species which was declared endangered in 1967. By 1995, it was still endangered in 43 of the lower 48 states even though the use of DDT had long since stopped. However, in 2007, the numbers of the species increased enough for it to be removed from the Endangered Species list. It is still protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Its biggest stronghold is still Alaska and Western Canada where salmon are quite common. In those areas, the numbers of Bald Eagles eclipse 100,000 birds.
The Animal Kingdom has only one Bald Eagle, Hope. Hope was injured and is unable to fly, but you can still see here during the Flights of Wonder show at the Caravan Stage.
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