If you are lucky, one day you will look up and see a
large, graceful bird soaring overhead. Maybe it will land
on top of a tall tree. If you are very lucky, you will see
the bird come back to its nest and chick. This bird is the
bald eagle, our national symbol.
The bald eagle is one of the largest birds in America.
It is a beautiful bird, but it is not bald. This kind of eagle
has white feathers on its head. The eagle’s name comes
from an old word. The word is piebald, and it means
Most people think that bald eagles hunt ground
animals or other birds. This is not true. Eagles like to eat
fish. This is why they live near water, and you are most
likely to spot them near rivers, lakes, and the ocean.
Bald eagles are rare. They are found only in America,
and there are not many of them. That is one reason why
we made the bald eagle our national bird.
We almost lost our bald eagles not too long ago
because they were in danger of becoming extinct.
Luckily, we were able to save them, and they are no
Many people like the eagle as a symbol for our country.
They respect what the eagle stands for. It represents
freedom and strength for them.
Ben Franklin was not one of these people. He was not
a fan of the bald eagle and once wrote a letter to his
daughter about his feelings. In it, he said eagles robbed
other birds. He wanted the turkey to be the national bird.