Introducing the Bald Eagle, Our National Symbol

This story is brought to you by BirdNote, a show that airs daily on public radio stations nationwide.

Look high into the top branches of a tall tree, and you may see the source of this call...a Bald Eagle.

Yes, that squeaky-door sound comes from the official bird of the United States of America. Sitting about three feet tall, this majestic bird has a wingspan of more than six feet. Stretch your arms as far as you can, and imagine a bird whose reach is even greater!

When you see a mature Bald Eagle, you’ll see a snowy-white head and tail with a dark brown body. Look closer and you’ll see lemon-yellow eyes and a powerful set of legs and feet. If you see a mottled brown bird of a similar size and shape, it’s probably an immature Bald Eagle. Young eagles take up to four years to completely mature before they display majestic brown-and-white plumage. John James Audubon thought the young Bald Eagle was a new species and named it the Washington Eagle after our first president.

Even with a call that sounds like a rusty gate, the Bald Eagle is lord of the landscape. For another look at those massive wings, take an old quarter out of your pocket. It’s easy to see how the Bald Eagle earned its place as our national symbol.

Go eye to eye with a Bald Eagle when you come to our website, birdnote.org. 

Bird sounds are provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Recorded by J. Storm. 
Producer: John Kessler
Executive Producer: Chris Peterson

Writer: Francis Wood

© 2015 Tune In to Nature.org     February 2015     Narrator: Michael Stein