bald eagle

bald eagle

noun

Definition of BALD EAGLE

: an eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) of North America that is brown when young with white only on the undersides of the wings but in full adult plumage has white head and neck feathers and a white tail

Illustration of BALD EAGLE

First Known Use of BALD EAGLE

1688

Rhymes with BALD EAGLE

half eagle, illegal, porbeagle, sea eagle, spread-eagle, viceregal

bald eagle

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).—Alexander Sprunt, IV

Species of sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) that occurs inland along rivers and large lakes. Strikingly handsome, it is the only eagle native solely to North America, and it has been the U.S. national bird since 1782. The adult, about 40 in. (1 m) long with a wingspan of 6.5 ft (2 m), is dark brown with white head and tail and yellow beak, eyes, and feet. Bald eagles snatch fish at the water surface, rob osprey of fish, and eat carrion. They nest in lone trees, often on river islands. Though still protected in the U.S., the bald eagle is no longer considered an endangered species.