The bald eagle became the National emblem in 1782 when the great seal of the United States was adopted.  Despite Benjamin Franklin’s assertion that “For my own part, I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly…†everyone else liked the raptor, and it beat out the Wild Turkey for National Bird, saving Thanksgiving from further awkwardness.

We all know they’re big, they’re not actually bald, and they were endangered but are now doing much better.  But did you know:

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• Bald Eagles are excellent “fish piratesâ€.  They prefer to wait for someone else (Osprey, human, whomever) to do the work and then just steal the fish from them.  They also do their own fishing. If they have to.
  
• Bald Eagles have been observed to play- mainly by passing objects back and forth to each other in midair.
  
• One of the most well-known nests was in Vermilion.  It weighed nearly 2 tons and was used for 34 years (until the tree fell over).
  
• During courtship, a male and female will fly high into the sky, lock talons, and cartwheel downward together, breaking off at the last instant to avoid crashing to earth.  Viva la romance!
  

Video of a Bald Eagle stealing food (includes racing the dropped food to the ground!)

http://www.arkive.org/bald-eagle/haliaeetus-leucocephalus/video-11.html

Listen to the Bald Eagle

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