Jody Victor : There are 59 species of eagles in the world, two of which inhabit North America: the Bald Eagle and the larger Golden Eagle.
Bald Eagles are found exclusively in North America. In Canada, the majority occur along the coast of British Columbia, with smaller populations located across the nation, such as in southern Ontario and New Brunswick.
The scientific name for this powerful predator is Haliaeetus leucocephalus. (Haliaeetus means "sea eagle" and leucocephalus means "white head".) Adult females are generally larger than the males, and both have the same characteristic plumage. The juvenile birds are a mixture of brown and white until they reach four or five years of age. At maturity, between four and eight years of age, the birds have dark brown feathers on their bodies and wings, snow-white feathers on their heads and tails, and yellow legs, eyes and beaks. As singular as their appearance, the eagles' call is a haunting series of high-pitched cries, similar to a gull's call but delivered more quickly and with more apparent urgency.
Mature Bald Eagles reach an average weight of three to six kilograms. Their wings are broad and may extend to more than two meters, enabling them to soar on columns of warm air, called thermals. Eagles can fly easily at 50 kilometers per hour.
Primarily, Bald Eagles feed on live or scavenged fish and aquatic birds, along with smaller mammals, amphibians and reptiles. Deer carcasses are a major source of food in winter. their keen vision allows them to see prey on the ground or in the water while in flight. Their strong beaks and sharp talons grasp and carry away their food: given the chance, they will "pirate" the kills of other birds, especially Ospreys.
Bald Eagles generally stay with one mate, unless the mate dies or disappears, which prompts the remaining bird to seek another. Adult females lay one to three whitish eggs in an enormous nest constructed of branches high in a tree. The eggs are incubated for 35 days by both adults. The newly hatched young are fed for 10 to 12 weeks until they have developed feathers and learned to fly, which is called fledging. Eagles can live up to 28 years in the wild and 36 or more years in captivity.