Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Trail Tidbits
This bird is our nation's mascot.
There are now 218 eagle nests in Georgia. 142 nests successfully hatched young in 2020.
Its status is listed as Threatened in Georgia but no longer Endangered on the Federal level.
The word bald is an old word meaning "white" referring to the head feathers.
Bald eagles have a 7 foot wingspan.
Diet includes fish, rabbit, squirrel, waterfowl, and dead animals.
Their huge nests are about the size of a hot tub (sometimes up to 8 feet across) and are built in tops of tall trees. A pair of eagles, mated for life, will use and rebuild the same nest year after year making it grow sometimes 12 feet high!