The bald eagle was chosen on June 20, 1782 as a symbol of the United States of American, due to its long life, great strength and majestic looks. Also because it was then believed to exist only on this continent. Besides being our national bird, the bald eagle is also considered the most endangered species in North America. The bald eagle is found over most of North America, from Alaska, to Canada, and northern Mexico. About half of the world's 70,000 bald eagles live in Alaska. Combined with British Columbia's population of about 20,000, the northwest coast of North America is by far their greatest stronghold. They flourish here in part because of the salmon. Dead or dying fish are an important food source for all bald eagles. In July of 2000, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was proposing that the bald eagle be declared fully recovered, but the decision was delayed until they'd figured out how they would manage the species after it was removed from the list.
American Bald Eagle fall mating ritual
Haliaeetus leucocephalus (bald eagle) landing into...
Bald EagleThe bald eagle still remains listed as threatened in the United States. On saturday May 15th, 2004, a top bush admistatrator, said that the American Bald Eagle will be removed from the threatened species list this year, but that the birds would still remain protected by the federal Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940. In 1963 the bald eagle's population in the United States was reduced to a sad 417 known breeding pairs. Although today, there are more than 7,678 breeding pairs to our knowledge of bald eagles in the United States. Craig Manson, the administrator's point man on the Endangered Species Act, says it's about time we start to concentrate recovery efforts on more helpless species. "The bald eagle is no longer endangered, but it's still deserving of...