Bald eagle : North Carolina wildlife profiles

NORTH CAROLINA Bald Eagle North Carolina Wildlife Profiles Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) Celebrated as the national symbol of the United States since 1872, the bald eagle was once listed as an endangered species. Benjamin Franklin accused the bird of "bad moral character” because of its habits of stealing fish from ospreys and scav¬ enging carrion. Haliaeetus leucocephalus means “sea eagle with a white head.” Like other sea eagles, the bald eagle lives near water and relies on powerful wings and talons to scavenge fish, its main source of food. Once endangered by pesticides and hunting, the bald eagle has made a stunning comeback and was removed from the Endangered Species List in 2007. Description One of the largest raptors in North America, the bald eagle weighs 8 to 13 pounds; the female is larger than the male. The wingspan may be 7 or 8 feet across, and the bird’s body can stretch 3 feet from beak to tail Juveniles are uniformly dark brown or mottled, with dark beaks, talons and eyes. In flight, the underside of the juve¬ nile’s wings may be streaked or mottled with white feathers. The bald eagle isn’t "bald”; its name comes from the white feathers over the entire head. After four to five years, the birds achieve full adult plumage and coloring: a brilliant white head, neck and tail; bright yellow’ beak and feet; and pale yellow' eyes. Bald eagles hold their wings flat when soaring high in the sky, unlike vultures and other large birds whose wings make a slight vee. History and Status As far back as 1700, explorer John Lawson found bald eagles plentiful along North Carolina waterways but divided them into two species, the “eagle bald” (bald meaning white) and the “eagle gray,” which was actually the juvenile of the species. Settlers and bounty hunters shot and trapped great numbers of the birds, and by the end of the 19th century the bald eagle population had declined throughout North America. In 1940 Congress passed the Bald Eagle Act, protecting the bird from fur¬ ther destruction. Still, populations plummeted in the 1940s and ‘50s after the pesti¬ cide DDT was introduced. The chemical accumulated in the food chain of eagles and other birds, resulting in thin eggshells that cracked when the parents attempted to brood their eggs. Once DDT was banned, bald eagles started slowly repopulating suitable habitats near lakes, rivers and sounds. Once listed as an endangered species, the bald eagle is now found throughout the state. Adult bald eagle I Photo : Mark Buckler) Range and Distribution Native only to North America, the bald eagle was once abundant in both the East and West, from Canada to the Gulf Coast. Once extirpated from much of its range, it has now made a comeback on its own and through reintroduction programs in some states, including North Carolina. Bald eagles are found across the state, mainly near large bodies of water. They are a common sight at Jordan and Falls lakes in the Piedmont and at Lake Mattamuskeet in Hyde County. Range Map Habitats £r Habits The bald eagle prefers habitat near lakes, large rivers, and shorelines of sounds and bays. The bird requires tall, isolated trees for perching and nesting. Its large wings