Bald Eagle Image
A good close-up Bald Eagle Image can be an excellent addition to your collection of colorful pictures and photographs of various animals. The Bald Eagle is unique in the USA, and has a highly symbolic meaning to the nation. This bird was accepted as a national emblem on June 20, 1782, during the American Revolution, and since then it is an inalienable element of the Seal of the President of the United States.
Today, Bald Eagle Images can be found on other items, such as coins, seals, banknotes and so forth. In the 1700s, there were about 400,000-500,000 Bald Eagles in the wild. In the 20th century, their population shrunk tremendously due to habitat destruction, massed killing and poisoning. In the 1960s, there were less than 900 species left in the wild, which was a menacing situation. The Bald Eagle Protection Act that was accepted in 1940, was upgraded in 1967 to outlaw any commercial activity involving Bald and Golden Eagles. In 1972, DDT was banned, because it was one of the main causes of the Bald Eagle population slump. These measures have proven effective as they have made it possible to stop the degeneration of the species and put it off from the endangered list.
Any Bald Eagle Image conveys an impression of pride and freedom, and this is one of the reasons why this bird was chosen as a national symbol. Bald Eagles have a blackish-brown feathering all over the body except white head and tail and yellow beak and feet. Males have the same coloring as females. Eaglets are totally brown, and they obtain the adult coloring when they become sexually mature. Bald Eagles reach puberty by 5 years old. The body length of females is about 34-37 inches, and males are 30-35 inches in length. Wingspan may reach 8 ft. Bald Eagles are divided into two subspecies: the northern and the southern. They look very similar, except southern Eagles are smaller than northern.
American Bald Eagles live near rivers and lakes and in coastal areas, because they feed mostly on fish. They have exceptional eyesight that enables them to spot fish from high above. They also take small birds, reptiles, rabbits, raccoons, waterfowl and other small and medium-sized animals. In harder times, Bald Eagles feed on carrion. It is not uncommon to them to pick dead fish from water, which is very easily seen from above. Bald Eagles are monogamous, so pairs stay together for lifetime or until one of the mates dies. They nest in areas secured from the outside world by trees or cliffs. Clutches contain 1-3 eggs, and both parents take part in caring for the young. As we can see, a Bald Eagle Image can also be used as a symbol of fidelity and trust.
