The symbol of the United States of America, the bald eagle rules the skies as the top bird of prey in its homeland. It zeros in on victims from literally miles away, makes high-speed aerial dives and uses its strong talons to make the kill. The bald eagle is smart, too. It knows when and where large groups of fish will gather in autumn, and will pluck them out of the water or even wade in to snatch a meal.
It's Not Bald! The bald eagle is easily recognizable by the white feathers that cover its head. The "bald" part of its name comes from the word "piebald," which refers to patches colored black and white, such as the eagle's back and head.
Rough Edges: This bird of prey swoops down from the skies, reaching speeds up to 100 miles per hour, plucks fish out of the water with its long, sharp talons or grabs a mammal, such as a rabbit. The bald eagle has spiny scales, called spicules, on its feet that give it an extra good grip on slippery prey.
Fish Feast[]
Prey stands little chance of escaping this eagle eye.
During summer and autumn, salmon migrate to Alaska in massive numbers to breed. Brown bears feed on these fish in the summer, but make way for bald eagles that come in the fall. As many as 3,000 of the eagles gather for this feast, some flying in from as far away as Washington State! The bald eagles easily snag one salmon after another and eat their fill for days on end, using their sharp beaks to rip into the salmons' scales. The fish are so plentiful the eagles actually stand in the water and hook the fish with their talons.
Sky Pirate: The bald eagle sometimes takes the easy way out. It's known to attack seabirds called ospreys as they fly in with fresh fish in their claws. The eagle chases ospreys at up to 40 miles per hour until they drop their prey, then rushes down to grab it.
Eye for Detail: This predator has such great vision (8 times better than a human's) that it can use to identify prey as small as a rabbit from a mile away. A ridge of bone hangs over the top of its eyes to protect them and block the glare from sunlight.
Love is in the Air[]
- Bald eagles mate in a strange place-in the air. A male and female see each other, then begin a fancy courtship ritual by flying circles around each other.
- After a short while, the male swoops down on the female as if he's going to attack. The female flips over and locks her talons in his.
- "Hand in hand," the eagles fall toward the ground. They break free at the last moment and fly off, ready to go to their nest where the female lays eggs.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- The card's front illustration is also used in the Wildlife Explorer series, for the Bald Eagle's profile. The main difference is the Weird n' Wild version of the illustration removes the tree branches the eagle is perched on.
- It is immediately followed by the Blue & Yellow Macaw (cards #17 and #18, respectively), who also has a shared illustration between the two series.
- The Bald Eagle is referenced as a relative on the Steller's Sea Eagle card.
- The multi-paneled illustration on the back, "Love is in the Air", is also used in the Wildlife Explorers card. Here, using the same title, there's an additional second panel of the two birds locking talons midair.
- The bald eagle is featured in National Pride on Monster Mania 86.]