The story of Bald Eagles begins at minute 11:45. 

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Today we’re going to be talking about bald eagles, and as I mentioned in the beginning, they’re the national bird of the United States. In the recording at the very beginning of this episode, we heard that bald eagles can be found only in North America. So that means in Canada, the United States and in Mexico. 

Bald eagles are not actually bald, as their name suggests. In fact, their heads are covered in white feathers. Their bodies and wings are covered in dark brown or black feathers, which creates a very strong contrast between the head and the body, making these birds very easy to spot if you’re in their neck of the woods. In other words, if you’re in their territory, you’re in their habitat. 

Their wingspan, so the length from one end of one wing to the end of the other wing, when their wings are open, can reach up to 7 feet across, allowing them to soar through the skies at speeds up to 43 miles per hour. And they can swoop down with ease, whenever need be. 

These birds are capable of diving vertically at speeds of up to 99 miles per hour. That’s 160 kilometers per hour. 

Their size can vary though, depending on the location of their natural habitat. So if you’re in Mexico versus being in Alaska, for example. So bald eagles abide by the Bergmann rule, which I wasn’t familiar with before researching this, which actually states that the body mass of animals within the same species is larger in colder climates. With that said, the further you move away from the equator, the larger these bald eagles will be.

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