31 Bald Eagle Facts For Kids

1. The bald eagle is a large bird of prey that is a member of the Haliaeetus genus (sea or fish eagle).
2. Bald eagles are one of the most widely recognized birds in the world due to its affiliation with the United States.
3. The bald eagle’s binominal name is Haliaeetus leucocephalus.
4. The bald eagle’s habitat range extends through most of North America.
5. Bald eagles are migratory birds and migrate throughout North America.
6. Bald eagles are territorial and will defend their territory from other birds, especially other bald eagles.
7. There were an estimated 316,000 bald eagles living in the lower U.S. states in 2019.
8. Adult bald eagles have a brownish black body, with a white head and a yellow hooked beak.
9. Juvenile bald eagles are born a light grey and turn brown as they grow.
10. The diet of the bald eagle is mainly fish but can include other birds and small mammals.
11. The bald eagle is considered a hypercarnivore because its diet is almost entirely meat based.
12. Bald eagles are known for their hunting abilities, such as being able to swoop down and catch a fish in the water.
13. Bald eagles can use their razor sharp talons to grab fish right out of the water.
14. More than 100 different species of fish have been recorded being eaten by the bald eagle.
15. The average male bald eagle weighs between 6 and 9 pounds.
16. The average female bald eagle weighs between 10 and 15 pounds.
17. The average male bald eagle wingspan is 6.4 feet (76.8”).
18. The average female bald eagle wingspan is 7.2 feet (86.4”).
19. The average lifespan of the bald eagle is 20 years in the wild.
20. The average bald eagle can fly between 35 and 43 miles per hour.
21. The average bald eagle can reach speeds of 75 to 100 miles per hour when diving for food.
22. Bald eagles can fly up to 124 miles a day when migrating, but average 10 to 20 miles a day during non-migratory times.
23. Bald eagles form pair bonds and mate for life but may seek out another mate if their current one disappears or dies.
24. Bald eagles build massive bird nests and build the biggest nests of any bird in North America.
25. The Bald eagle’s nest can get as big as 8.2 feet across and 13 feet deep.
26. An average, a mating pair of bald eagles will produce two eggs per year, but ranges from one to three.
27. Bald eagles faced extinction in the mid-20th century due to many factors, such as loss of habitat and the use of DDT.
28. Efforts to recover bald eagle population were extremely successful. At one point, there was only an estimated 1,000 bald eagles left and in 2019 the population exceeded 300,000. Recovery efforts included bills to protect bald eagles and the banning of DDT
29. The national bird of the United States of America is the bald eagle.
30. The bald eagle appears on the Great Seal, as known as the Great Seal of the United States.
31. Native Americans believed the bald eagle was a scared bird.

Bald Eagle Pictures

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the below images will be helpful for your research on bald eagles. Below are six pictures of various bald eagles. These pictures should help you better understand the beauty of this majestic bird.

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