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A national symbol, this powerful bird of prey almost went extinct. It hasrebounded in recent years, with the Minnesota-Wisconsin border hosting oneof the most successful recoveries. Bald eagles nest and hunt along waterways, eating fish, ducks, and dead animals (carrion).
Description: Adult Bald Eagles have dark brownish black plumage with a white head and tail. The feet, beak and eyes are yellow. Immature birds are mottled brown with a black beak and dark eyes. They reach adult plumage gradually over a period of about 5 years.
Similar species: There are two recognized subspecies of Bald Eagle. The northern (H. l. alascanus) and southern subspecies (H. l. leucocephalus) differ in size (northern is larger) and are differentiated by geographic boundaries. There are seven other species in the genus Haliaeetus, five of which are similar to the American Bald Eagle. They are distinguished geographically and include: The White-bellied Sea Eagle (H. leucogaster); Sanford's Sea Eagle (H. sanfordi); the Madagascar Fish Eagle (H. vociferoides); the White-tailed Sea Eagle (H. albicilla, sometimes called the Steller's Sea Eagle); and the African Fish Eagle (H. vocifer). Young Bald Eagles are commonly confused with Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) because of their dark plumage. These two species can generally be distinguished by habitat and location. Bald Eagles occur mostly around water and Golden Eagles are found in open rangeland.
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