A bald eagle’s white head may make it look bald. But actually the name comes from an old English word, “balde,” meaning white. Bald eagles were on the brink of extinction because of hunting and pollution. But laws created almost 40 years ago have helped protect them, and they’ve made a comeback.

These powerful birds of prey use their talons to fish, but they get many of their meals by scavenging carrion or stealing the kills of other animals. They live near water and favour coasts and lakes where fish are plentiful, though they will also snare and eat small mammals.

Eagle nests are called aeries (AIR-ees). Bald eagles build their nests at the very top of tall tress so the eggs will be safe. Some parents come back year after year to the same nest, adding more sticks, twigs, and grass each time. Babies, called eaglets, are born light gray then turn brown. When they are four to fie years old, they develop their normal white heads and tails.

Fun Facts

The Bald Eagle is the national bird of the United States. The Bald Eagle was added to the list of endangered species in 1967 and was removed from the endangered species list in 2007.