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The
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a raptor that
is indigenous to North America, and is the national symbol
of the United States of America. The species was on the
brink of extinction late in the 20th century but has largely
recovered and now has a stable population. The bird gets
its English and scientific names from the distinctive
white color of the adult's head feathers. "Baeld"
is the Old English word for white; Haliaeetus is the New
Latin for sea eagle, from Greek haliaetos, and leucocephalus
is the Greek for white head, from leukos (white) and kephale
(head). An immature bird has speckled brown feathers all
over, the distinctive head and body plumage arriving 2–3
years later, before sexual maturity. Adult females have
a wingspan of approximately 2.1 meters (7 feet); adult
males have a wingspan of 2 meters (6 feet, 6 inches).
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Adult
females weigh approximately 5.8 kg (12.8 lb), males weigh
4.1 kg (9 lb). Bald eagles are powerful fliers, and ride
thermal convection currents to range far. Bald Eagles
are sexually mature at 4 or 5 years of age. Mated pairs
produce between one and three eggs per year, but it is
rare for all three chicks to successfully fledge. Third
chicks are sometimes removed from nests to use in reintroduction
programs in areas where the species has died out. In such
programs, the birds are raised in boxes, on platforms
in the tree canopy, and fed in such a way that they cannot
see the person supplying their food, until they are old
enough to fly and find their own food. Bald Eagles which
are old enough to nest often return to the area in which
they were raised. |
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