Description

 

We all know a bald eagle when we see one, but did you know that the graceful bald eagle you know doesn’t get its "bald" head and white tail till it is four or five years old. Young bald eagles are brown with off-white spots. Bald eagles can live thirty years in the wild and even longer in captivity. A male’s weight is seven to ten pounds. Their wingspans are about six and a half feet long. Females are larger. A female’s weight can reach fourteen pounds. Their wingspans are about eight feet. All eagles are known for their eyesight. Eagles have two foveae or centers of focus. The two foveae allow them to see both forward and to the side at the same time. Bald eagles and other eagles are capable of seeing prey,such as fish,from several hundred feet above the water while they are soaring,gliding,or in flight. Bald eagles,especially young ones,have been known to mistake plastic bottles floating on or just below the surface of the water as a dead fish. Bald eagles like other birds have color vision. Did you know that their eye is almost as big as a humans eye. Eagles also have very good hearing too. Their powerful beak,legs,and eyes are yellow. Their powerful talons are used to catch fish. Females lay two eggs each year. Layers of feathers make them appear larger. They have hollow bones that are filled with air. This helps them to fly. Their wingspans help them to soar. There are two types of bald eagles. The northern bald eagle and the southern bald eagle are the two types of bald eagles.