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A bald eagle with its wings raised, about to take off from a tree stump in Alaska.
Photo: Andy Morffew, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

The national bird of the United States, a fish-eating eagle that came back from the edge of extinction.

🦅 Birds of Prey
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About the Bald Eagle

Bald eagles live near water such as lakes, rivers, coasts and wetlands, from Alaska and Canada down to northern Mexico. Fish is their main food, but they also eat waterbirds, turtles, rabbits, snakes and animals that are already dead. Females are bigger than males, with wingspans up to 8 feet. Young eagles have mottled brown and white feathers all over. They slowly grow the white head and tail of an adult by about age 5.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Haliaeetus leucocephalus[1]
Size
28 to 38 inches long. Wingspan up to 6 feet for males and up to 8 feet for females.[1][2]
Weight
Males: up to 10 pounds. Females: up to 14 pounds. Some Alaskan eagles reach 16 pounds.[1]
Lifespan
Up to about 30 years in the wild, and longer in captivity.[1]
Diet
Mostly fish. Also waterfowl, shorebirds, turtles, rabbits, snakes, other small animals and carrion.[1]
Habitat
Near water: forests, coasts, lakes, rivers, mountains and wetlands, including in cities.[1]
Where it lives
North America, from Alaska and Canada to northern Mexico.[1]
Babies
Nests are usually 4 to 5 feet wide and 2 to 4 feet deep. Some grow to 10 feet across.[1]
Conservation status
Recovered. Removed from the U.S. endangered species list in 2007.[1]

Fun facts

  • The bald eagle was adopted as the national symbol of the United States in 1782.[1]
  • In 1963 there were only 417 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states. By 2019 there were an estimated 71,467 breeding pairs.[1]
  • An eagle's eye has two centers of focus, so it can see forward and to the side at the same time.[2]
  • Some bald eagle nests grow to 10 feet across.[1]

Vocabulary

bird of prey
A bird that hunts other animals, using sharp talons and a hooked beak.
talon
A sharp, curved claw on a bird of prey's foot.
wingspan
The distance from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other.
carrion
The meat of an animal that is already dead.
pesticide
A chemical used to kill insects or other pests.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. “Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).” https://www.fws.gov/species/bald-eagle-haliaeetus-leucocephalus (accessed 2026-10-01)
  2. [2] National Park Service. “Bald Eagle.” https://www.nps.gov/articles/bald-eagle.htm (accessed 2026-10-01)

Facts last checked 2026-10-01.

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