bald eagle

noun

: 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

Illustration of bald eagle

Examples of bald eagle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Tuffy is a baby red-tailed hawk who was stolen from his nest by a bald eagle on May 20. Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2023 Share [Findings] In Maine, a loon stabbed a bald eagle through the heart. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 8 Nov. 2023 Noisy or silent, these creatures, like the herons, cormorants, and bald eagles, had chosen this place for a reason. Nina Caplan, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2023 The success story echoes that of the bald eagle and American alligators -- other species on the brink of extinction that rebounded as a result of protections from the ESA, Cohen said. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2023 Not at a flamingo, but at massive bald eagle perched on a piling, unbothered by the visitors, perhaps contemplating lunch. Joe Heim, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2023 Rent a kayak from Black Hall Outfitters and explore the Great Island Wildlife Management Area or Connecticut River Paddlers' Trail for foliage and potential bald eagle sightings. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2023 Bird lovers flock to Klamath Falls for its location along the Pacific Flyway, attracting more than 350 avian species annually, including American white pelicans during the summer and the largest concentration of wintering bald eagles in the lower 48. Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2023 Many different kinds of animals can fly on planes — like the massive bald eagle that passed through security at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport last year — but not everyone is welcome. Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 2 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bald eagle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bald eagle was in 1688

Dictionary Entries Near bald eagle

Cite this Entry

“Bald eagle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bald%20eagle. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

bald eagle

noun
: a North American eagle which is mostly brown when young but has white head, neck, and tail feathers when mature

More from Merriam-Webster on bald eagle

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