Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Pigargo Cabeciblanco,
┴guila Cabeciblanca

Audio 2 (M. Oberle)

A large, dark brown hawk with a white head and tail. Immature birds have brown heads and a white base to the tail. Length: 71-96 cm.; weight: 3,000-6,300 g. Audio 2 (M. Oberle). The national bird of the USA, the Bald Eagle was endangered by DDT and other persistent chemicals in the environment that affected its reproduction. Under protection, this fish-eating hawk is recovering in population. It is listed as a threatened species by the Federal government, but may be removed from the endangered species list if its recovery continues. Accidental in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

TAXONOMY: FALCONIFORMES; ACCIPITRIDAE; Accipitrinae

References

Buehler, D. A. 2000. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). No. 506 in The Birds of North America (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.

del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott, and J. Sargatal, eds. 1994. Handbook of Birds of the World, Vol. 2, New World vultures to guineafowl. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Ehrlich, P.R., D.S. Dobkin, and D. Wheye. 1988. The birderÆs handbook: a field guide to the natural history of North American birds. Simon and Schuster/ Fireside, NY.

Johnsgard, P.A. 1990. Hawks, eagles, and falcons of North America: Biology and natural history. Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington, DC.

Raffaele, H.A. 1989. A guide to the birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Princeton.

Raffaele, H.A. 1989. Una guía a las aves de Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes. Publishing Resources, Inc., Santurce, PR.

Raffaele, H.A., J.W. Wiley, O.H. Garrido, A.R. Keith, and J.I. Raffaele. 1998. Guide to the birds of the West Indies. Princeton.

Scholz, F. 1993. Birds of prey. Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA.

American Bald Eagle Foundation: http://www.baldeagles.org/

American Bald Eagle Information: http://www.baldeagleinfo.com/

http://www.npca.org/wildlife_protection/wildlife_facts/baldeagle.asp

American Eagle Foundation: http://www.eagles.org/

Eagle stock images: http://www.eaglestock.com/eagle.htm

Diseases: http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/research/avm/avm.html

http://www.macintech.net/

http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/viewing/wildcam/eaglecam/

http://www.edmlink.com/raptorvideo.htm

Video: http://wrigley.usc.edu/live.html

Raptors in general in Puerto Rico: http://netdial.caribe.net/~falconpr/

Bald Eagle, Spanish text

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