Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Once, not so long ago, it was a rare and magical event to see a bald eagle around Minnesota. Once on the endangered species list, they've bounced back well enough to be completely removed from both the "endangered" and "threatened" species. Now, it's not so rare to see a bald eagle anymore, but it's still pretty magical. These are enormous, awe inspiring birds.

Female bald eagles grow to be about 25% larger than males. In Minnesota, they can be over 14 lbs with a six or seven foot wingspan. In Alaska, where they grow largest, they can have wingspans up to 8 feet across.

Both male and female birds have the distinct white feathers on their heads, although neither one develops this coloring until after their third or fourth year. Bald eagles can leave to be up to 40 years old in the wild.

Bald eagles primarily eat fish, and so like to build large nests in areas away from human interference but close to good fishing spots. They are known to be good swimmers and will often catch a fish, then swim with it to shore if it is too large to carry off in flight.

Bald eagles are, of course, the national symbol of the United States.