I don’t know if eagles are the most popular bird in America, but they attract and receive much attention, likely due to their size and strength and freedom. Eagles are striking and majestic, but they’re also highly intelligent and exhibit some very interesting behaviors. Here are ten things you may not know about these wonderful birds.
The Bald Eagle has been the national emblem of the United States since 1782 and a spiritual symbol for native people for far longer than that. These regal birds aren’t really bald, but their white-feathered heads gleam in contrast to their chocolate-brown body and wings.
#1 Bald eagles aren’t born with yellow beaks. Instead, their beaks gradually move towards the classic yellow shade as they mature, with the average bald eagle displaying a fully yellow beak by age four.
#2 The eyes of eagles are very large in proportion to their heads, and their pupils are particularly big. These impressive organs allow them to see five colors rather than just our three basic colors, and their eyes have five times more light-sensitive cells in the retina. Given these facts, it’s unsurprising that eagles are said to have the best vision in the animal kingdom.
#3 A bald eagle’s nest can be seriously large! These birds build their nests in trees, but the nests are so heavy that they have been known to break the trees. The typical bald eagle nest has a diameter of five feet and a depth of six feet, but the largest of these nests measured 9.6 feet by 20 feet and was around two tons. Since it takes a great deal of time and effort to build these nests, bald eagles prefer to use the same nest for years in a row (sometimes even for decades).
It is said the eagle was used as a national emblem because, at one of the first battles of the Revolution the noise awoke the sleeping eagles and they flew from their nests and circled about over the heads of the fighting men, all the while giving vent to their raucous cries.
#4 When bald eagles are trying to attract mates, they engage in impressive displays involving steep swoops, violent dogfights and other displays of their strength and agility.
#5 Golden eagles can fly at up to 150 miles (230 kilometers) per hour. When migrating, eagles seldom flap their wings, they tend to use thermal updrafts to gain great altitude and they soar in a long, descending glide where which they can hit 50-75 mph easily.
#6 Eagles have always been viewed as symbolizing freedom and power. For example, ancient Aztecs would choose to build cities where eagles landed, and Native Americans gave eagle feathers as signs of respect.
For such a powerful bird, the Bald Eagle emits surprisingly weak-sounding calls – usually a series of high-pitched whistling or piping notes.
#7 Although you might think that the stunning bald eagle would have an equally impressive call, the surprising truth is that these birds have a rather weak call. When filmmakers want to make a scene with a bald eagle seem more dramatic, they often use the call of the red-tailed hawk.
#8 Some eagle practices are harsh but effective. For example, golden eagles in Greece have been spotted killing turtles by dropping them down onto rocks. This process breaks their shells and allows eagles to eat the meat.
Meanwhile, eagles often lay more than one egg and let the stronger, larger chick kill the weaker offspring. In contrast, the African vulturine fish-eagle is mainly vegetarian and eats oil palm fruits.
#9 Female eagles tend to be larger than male eagles. It is thought that the size difference is explained by the fact that males do more flying and hunting (and therefore benefit from a sleeker body shape).
#10 Eagles are a fairly monogamous species and many pairs of eagles mate for life. One study found that 90% of these birds stayed with partners until a partner died, and then they moved on to a new partner. Since adult eagles have around a 10% mortality rate per year, approximately one in ten eagles will be looking for a new mate each year.
Bald Eagle Gets Ready To Take Off Under Bright Noon Sunlight
The Bald Eagle is found only on the North American continent, and have a wing span of up to 7 feet.
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