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Pike's Passage Water Trail
Dedication Ceremony
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The signing of a cooperative agreement
between the Corps of Engineers and the
American Canoe Association.
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The bald eagle was officially declared the National Emblem of the United States in 1782. The American Bald Eagle’s scientific name, Haliacetus leucocphalus, literally means “white-headed sea eagle”.
These majestic birds are one of the largest birds of prey found in North America. Females are slightly larger than males reaching 15 pounds, standing 3 feet tall and spreading up to 8 feet in wingspan. The female eagle lays 1 to 3 white eggs in March and April.
The bald eagle has excellent vision and on a clear day, they can seefish from nearly 2 miles away. Once spotted, eagles use their razorsharp talons to catch their prey.
A mated pair of bald eagles will return to the same nest, and defenda territory around that nest each spring. Both eagles take turns incubating the eggs for 34 to 40 days.
As of 1995, the bald eagle is no longer considered an endangeredspecies. Harming an eagle carries an initial conviction of a one-year jail sentence and $5,000 in fines.
There are approximately 4,500 nesting pairs and 20,000 total birds in the lower 48 states |
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