The American bald eagle or white-faced sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a bird of prey that breeds in Canada and the United States.
The bald eagle has been the symbol of America for thousands of years, beginning in 1782. The bald eagle stands for strength, but also as a leader of the air.
At the end of the twentieth century the bird was on the verge of extinction, but today the population has recovered to a stable level.
Adult American bald eagles are very large and powerful birds with distinctive yellow eyes and yellow bill, a white head and tail, and a dark brown body, which appears almost black. Although these birds do not acquire their adult plumage until their 5th year, they may still have a few dark spots on their head and tail for several years after that.
The plank-like wings have a wingspan of 178 to 229 cm. The body length is 79 to 94 cm and they weigh about 4.3 kg. The plumage alone weighs about 700 grams, which is twice as much as the skeleton. When they lose the flapping feathers it can take 2 to 3 years to replace them. They have a large head, neck and beak and legs with sharp claws.