A bald eagle's white head may make it look bald. But actually, the name comes from an old English word, "balde," meaning white. These graceful birds have been the national symbol of the United States since 1782.
Bald eagles were on the brink of extinction because of hunting and pollution. But laws created almost 40 years ago have helped protect them, and they've made a comeback.
Female bald eagles are a bit bigger than males. Their bodies can be three feet long, and their wingspan can be eight feet across. That's about the distance from the floor to the ceiling!
Eagle nests are called aeries (AIR-ees). Bald eagles build their nests at the very top of tall trees so the eggs will be safe. Some parents come back year after year to the same nest, adding more sticks, twigs, and grass each time.
Babies, called eaglets, are born light gray then turn brown. When they are four to five years old, they develop their normal white heads and tails. In the wild, they can live to be 35 years old or more.
Bald eagles can soar over 10,000 feet high, and their great eyesight lets them see fish up to a mile away. When they attack, they drop down at up to 100 miles an hour! Then they glide just above the water, snag a fish with their feet, and fly off to eat it.
1. How did the bald eagle get its name?
2. Why do you think the bald eagle is important to the United States?
3. Give 2 reasons why the bald eagle may become extinct.
4. What has been done to help save bald eagles?
5. Why are eagles' nests built at the top of trees?
6. What allows the eagle to be an excellent predator?
7. Give one word that can be used to replace "drop down".
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