Interesting facts about a bald eagle, a symbol of the USA

The United States of America is a big country in Northern America. Today we will tell you about one of its most famous symbols — a bald eagle.

Soon after the USA got its independence from Great Britain, the government decided to use its image on the Great Seal. The picture of a bald eagle is often used as a symbol of courage, strength and power.

This bird lives only on the territory of Northern America, you won’t find it anywhere else. The eagle is very large: it may grow almost 3 feet high, its wingspan up to 8 feet.

To tell the truth, the eagle isn’t really bald. Its head is covered with white feathers, that is why it seems to be bald. The bird is a very committed partner in marriage. They choose marriage partners for life, and they take care for their babies together. Males and females look alike, but females are usually larger.

Eagles build large nests, and usually they do it together. One of the biggest ones was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records, because it weighed almost 2 tons. These birds are one of a kind, because they can see even with their eyes closed. The thing is, in addition to usual eyelids they have special membranes on their eyes. Those membranes help them better preserve their eyes from the dust.

Before the European colonists first came to America there used to be plenty of eagles. But after their arrival eagles soon grew close to extinction. Farmers who grew vegetables on that land, used a very dangerous chemical to get rid of the pests. As predators who eat their pray, eagles often got poisoned. Only with the help of ecologists those beautiful birds could survive.

In a western movie cowboys often gallop into the prairies.The sound, accompanying their progress is that of an eagle cry, as it seems. We are sorry to discourage you, but in reality eagles make really funny noises. They sound more like nasty giggling, than like a cry of a strong bird. The eagle is the only bird whose cry is dubbed on TV. They do this not to spoil its proud image.