The eagle is the largest bird of prey, this means they eat other birds, fish, snakes and small mammals like rabbits and squirrels. Eagles have been seen from the hot jungles to the snow-covered lands of the north. Eagles are known for their hunting and usually eat whatever there is most of in the area. Their eyesight is so powerful it helps them hunt from long distances. During the day eagles are usually seen pearching on cliffs, trees or hunting. When the seasons change the eagles are known to move where the food is most abundant. Eagles are the most noticed bird on earth because of their size and power.

In the world their are about 60 kinds of eagles. In North America there are two types of Eagles, the Bald and Golden. Of the two the Bald is the most common. The bald eagle has a wing span of about 6 feet. It got it's name from the white feathers on it's head by the early colonist in the 1700's. The largest group of eagles is the booted eagles. They are noticed by the heavey coat of feathers on their legs that look like boots. A baby Eagle is called an eaglet. The Eagle's favorite food is fish. The female Eagle is larger and meaner then the male. The Eagle's nest is an aerie, and the two Eagle's return to it every year. The Golden Eagle is larger and darker than the bald eagle. The golden eagle is better known in the southwest and makes it's nest in high mountains, with twigs and branches.

Eagles have been known to get as big as 12 pounds and have a wing span of up to 8ft. The eagles that live in the woods have shorter wings to move around trees the ones in the mountains have the large wings for gliding. Eagles have very sharp eyes about 8 times as strong as humans. They can see rabbits from up to 2 miles away and fish from 1/2 mile away.A Eagles kill their food by there their claws on their feet called Talons. This big claw helps the bird carry its food long ways to their nest. Eagles have long beaks that they use for killing and tearing their food. The eagles don't chew their food they swallow it and can store as much as 2 pounds of food in their crop.

The eagles build large nest to live in. The two eagles use the nest over and over from year to year and add to them that is why it gets so large. One nest is known to have weighed 2 tons the size of a small car. The eagle hatches from eggs . Most of the time 2 eggs are born. Both parents sit on the eggs to keep them warm before they are born. It takes about 40 days for the eggs to hatch. The babbies weigh about 3 ounces at birth.

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I've seen eagles all over the northwest. I've seen them by my Grandma and Grandpa's house in Olympia searching for food and in the San Juan's, on vacation this last year. They are one of the most exciting thing's I've ever seen. I have even seen them in Eastern Washington over lake Chelan. I think one of the Eagle's favorite food must be salmon or trout from the many rivers and bay's of the northwest. I think the eagle is one of the most exciting animals in the world.

Compton's Encyclopedia: 1994

Compton's Learning Center Co.(Weekly Reader Magazine: March edition)

The Eagle in the Mountains : By Jim Scott