While the image of the bald eagle commonly jumps to mind when thinking of great national symbols, the details of the daily lives and habitats of these majestic creatures remain an uncertain mystery to many Americans. Where do these amazing creatures live? How do they survive? How can a person witness them in their natural habitats?
Native to North America, including all of the lower 48 states, northern Mexico, Alaska and Canada, the bald eagle was an amazing sight to behold to the early North American settlers who had never before seen such a creature. Soaring above the trees, lakes and streams, this majestic creature embodied the wild, free spirit of those who came to this continent seeking freedom from the monarchies of Europe. As result of this powerful symbolism, the Continental Congress of the newly formed United States of America formally adopted the eagle into the Great Seal of the United States in 1782. To this day, the image of a majestic bald eagle holding a thirteen leaf olive branch and thirteen arrows in its powerful talons continues to serve homage to the strength and resiliency of the first thirteen colonies of this great nation.
In the late twentieth century, it became increasingly clear that the bald eagle was at risk of local extinction in the contiguous lower 48 states. While it had been illegal to hunt bald eagles since the 1940 Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act of the United States was passed, it was noticed that the shells of their eggs were increasingly susceptible to breakage, which dramatically decreased the number of bald eagles raised to adulthood. This brittleness was attributed to the chemical pesticide, DDT. Conservation and breeding programs along with the formal ban of DDT have helped to ensure that this majestic creature continues to thrive in the continental United States. With these successful efforts, the species was removed from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife by Congress in 2007.
The average life span of the bald eagle is twenty years. The coloring and plumage of females is virtually identical to the marking on the males of the species. Other birds, such as the cardinal typically exhibit bright-feathered males to attract females along with plainer females whose primary job is to blend in with their natural surroundings and protect the young. Although bald eagles do not exhibit the sexual color variations of other birds, the female bald eagle is typically much larger than the males of the species. Interestingly, bald eagles are not actually bald. Named for the slicked-back white feathers covering their heads like hoods, the word bald actually comes from an old English word ‘balde’ which means ‘white.’ The rest of their feathers are typically brown, with the exception of their tales which are also white. The body length of bald eagles typically ranges from thirty to forty inches and their wing span usually ranges around seventy to eighty inches across. While they appear to be massive creatures, they are relatively light with an average weight of five to seventeen pounds.
Bald eagles nest in old-growth deciduous and coniferous trees and are known to seek out areas near oceans and large lakes, as fish are one of their primary sources of sustenance. While bald eagles prefer fish, they are an opportunistic species and may resort to scavenging for carrion in the cold winter months when other sources of food are sparse. While many people associate the bald eagle with coastal areas such as Oregon, Washington and Alaska, they are also quite common in the Great Lakes region, specifically in states such as Wisconsin and Minnesota. The northern regions of Wisconsin and Minnesota are more sparsely populated with humans than larger cities, making this an ideal spot for the bald eagle; a species which commonly avoids areas populated by humans. With a booming fish population, a multitude of lakes and freshwater sources and thousands of acres of untouched wilderness, northern Wisconsin and Minnesota are actually some of the best places in the continental United States to encounter one of these incredible creatures. If you have the opportunity to travel through the extraordinary Northwoods in Minnesota and Wisconsin, keep on the look-out for these majestic birds. Their nests are among the largest in the world. Their nests may be up to thirteen feet in depth and on occasion have been found to weigh as much as a metric ton. Bald eagles typically migrate from areas where lakes and bodies of water freeze in winter, so the warmer summer months offer the best chance of an encounter with a bald eagle in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. Inland streams, which are less susceptible to the freezing temperatures of winter, are common locations for bald eagles to congregate in colder months. As the Mississippi River and larger lakes begin to thaw in spring, the bald eagles move into their summer breeding and hunting grounds.
For those interested in learning more about the majestic bald eagle, a visit to the National Eagle Center in Washaba, Minnesota is definitely in order. Here, visitors can witness the feeding of bald eagles as well as fascinating daily exhibitions at this important conservation center. This organization even hosts a webcam site entitled www.eagle4Kids.com where visitors can view live, streaming video of a bald eagle nest located in western Wisconsin over the internet.
If you want to try to catch a live glimpse of these birds, Prairie du Chien along the upper Mississippi River is an excellent spot in Wisconsin. Located along the migratory route of the eagles, Prairie du Chien hosts an annual Bald Eagle Appreciation Day in February at the Prairie du Chien Regional Tourism Center and AmericInn Lodge & Suites with nature exhibits, a life-size bald eagle nest and interactive educational games for children.
If you are interested in getting a closer look at the incredible bald eagle, look no further than the beauty of northern Wisconsin and Minnesota and learn more about our national bird here in the Northwoods.
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