Category:Bald Eagle

Bald" ea"gle. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The white-headed eagle (Haliæetus leucocephalus) of America. The young, until several years old, lack the white feathers on the head.

Note: The bald eagle is represented in the coat of arms, and on the coins, of the United States.

SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW!

NAME:___________________________________________

LOCATION:______________________________________

Bald eagles have better eyesight than humans. A) True B)  False

What are some characteristics of a bald eagle that make it different from a duck?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Where can you find bald eagles in the U.S.? A) Hawaii	B)  Only states on the East Coast C) Only states on the West Coast D)  Every state in the U.S. besides Hawaii

What type of pollution was a big threat to bald eagles over the years?_____________________

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 helps to protect birds from:

A) Migration B)  Extinction C) Evaporation D)  Conservation

6.	     Describe one reason why eagles are such fantastic fliers. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

BONUS! Use a separate sheet of paper to draw a picture of a bald eagle in its habitat.

ANSWER KEY:

Correct answer: True. The information for this can be found in the center poster, “Eagle-Eye View.” Eagles can see up to eight times more clearly than humans. The illustration in “Eagle-Eye View” is a great way to help students to understand just what it means to have eyesight that’s eight times better than ours. You might ask students, as an extension question, “Why might eyesight be important to eagles?” Answer— eagles can hunt much better. They can see prey on the ground or in water from way up in the air. If students are having trouble with this question, you might ask them, “How does good eyesight help you?” Ask students to think about what bald eagles might need (food, etc.) that makes good eyesight necessary.

This question is challenging because ducks are never directly compared to bald eagles in the materials. This question requires students to think beyond the curriculum and into their past experiences with ducks (chosen because they are fairly common). You might begin by asking students to describe each part of the bald eagle, including its color, head, beak, feet, etc. as well as its behaviors. You can refer to several sections within the newsletter for this, including the center poster with the photo of a male and female eagle, “Fantastic Fliers”, and “Eagle Eye View”. You might begin by asking students, “How might you be able to tell if you’re looking at a bald eagle verses a duck?” The most notable differences are the characteristics that make a bald eagle a bird of prey (or raptor). Bald eagles have sharp talons for hunting while ducks have webbed feet for swimming. Bald eagles have a sharp beak (also for hunting) while ducks have a rounded bill. Bald eagles have a much larger wingspan than ducks that allow them to fly at very high speeds and dive to hunt for fish.

Answer: D. Every state in the U.S. besides Hawaii. See the cover story “Baldy’s Back!” for the answer. Ask students, “Is the Bald Eagle found anywhere else besides the U.S.? Answer—yes. The Bald Eagle is found in parts of Canada and Mexico, but it’s the only species of eagle that lives just in North America. You may want to also refer to the map on the cover page, “The Bald Eagle’s Range” to show students just where bald eagles can be found.

Answer: Pesticides. The answer to this question can be found in the article, “Conservation’s Greatest Success Story”. Ask students, “What is a pesticide?” Answer: a chemical used to kill organisms that are considered pests. In addition to pesticides, students may also answer that poisonous chemicals from factories, coal-burning power plants, and farms can also harm bald eagles. A possible extension question could be, “How does this pollution harm bald eagles?” Answer—the pollution gets into our nation’s bodies of water and into the fish, which bald eagles eat.

Answer: B. Extinction. Ask students, “What is extinction?” It means that something no longer exists. Ask students, “In particular, how did the Endangered Species Act of 1973 protect bald eagles?” It banned certain pesticides and protecting bald eagle nesting sites. The answer to this question can be found in the article, “Conservation’s Greatest Success Story”. As a possible extension question, you might ask students, “What happened most recently that was great news for bald eagles (June, 2007)?” The Bald eagle was declared officially recovered (see cover article, “Baldy’s Back!”

Eagles make fantastic fliers for a variety of reasons. The answer to this question can be found in the center poster in the section called “Fantastic Fliers”. Eagles have lightweight wings (under two pounds) that can be up to 7 feet from tip to tip. The wings are strong and overlap to create a rigid and strong form. Ask students, “How fast can eagles fly?” Answer- eagles normally fly at around 30 mph, but can reach 60 mph and up to 100 mph when diving.

BONUS: Ask students to describe their drawings and talk about what makes good bald eagle habitat. You can ask them, as an extension question, where can you find bald eagle habitat? The answer is that bald eagle habitat is found only in North America. In the U.S., bald eagles can be found in every state besides Hawaii. See center poster (specifically “High Rise Homes”) for a description of a Bald Eagle’s nest and some of its habitat needs.