BALD EAGLE

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  The scientific name for the Bald Eagle is Haliaeetus leucocephalus. It has a white head and tail feathers.
  Size: 28-38"
  Weight: 6.5-14 poundsneck, a large orange and yellow beak, and dark brown plumage, with white
  Wingspan: up to 8.25 feet
  The Bald Eagle lives in most habitats (forests, near rivers and oceans). Its diet is fish, small birds, and carrion. (Carrion is a dead animal body.)
  It is the most famous carnivorous bird, probably because it is the symbol of the United States of America. Bald Eagles can live to be 30 years old, and they mate for life. Their nest is up to 13 feet tall.
  On the Fish & Wildlife Service website, we found the following explanation about why Bald Eagles have become scarce:
  "The greatest threat to the bald eagle's existence arose from the widespread use of DDT and other pesticides after World War II. DDT was sprayed on croplands throughout the country and its residues washed into lakes and streams. There, they were absorbed by aquatic plants and small animals that were eaten by fish. The contaminated fish, in turn, were consumed by bald eagles.The chemical interfered with the bald eagle's ability to develop strong shells for its eggs. As a result, bald eagles and many other bird species began laying eggs with shells so thin they often broke during incubation or otherwise failed to hatch. Their reproduction disrupted, bald eagle populations plummeted. As the dangers of DDT became known, in large part due to Rachel Carson's famous book Silent Spring, this chemical was banned for most uses in the U.S. in 1972."