Habitat: The bald eagle lives near rivers and large lakes, as it catches most of its food in the water.

Diet: Eagles are carnivores (meat-eaters) and hunt during the day (they are diurnal). They eat mostly fish. They also hunt and scavenge small mammals, snakes, and other birds.

Anatomy: Bald eagles have a long, downward-curving yellow bill, and large, keen eyes. These strong fliers have white feathers on their head, tail, and wing tips; the body has brown feathers. The feet have knife-like talons. Eagles have about 7,000 feathers. Adult eagles have a 7 ft (2.3 m) wingspan. The females are 30% larger than the males.

Nest and Eggs: Bald eagles build an enormous nest from twigs and leaves. The nest, called an aerie, can be up to eight feet across and may weigh a ton! Nests are located high from the ground, either in large trees or on cliffs. Eagles may use the same enormous nest over and over again for years.

A clutch of 1 to 3 eggs is laid by the female. The incubation period is from 1 to 1 1/2 months. Both males and females incubate the eggs. They both feed the hatchlings until they learn to fly (fledge).