Interested in the American bald eagle habitat? Find out where the American bald eagle likes to live…
The American bald eagle is a truly American bird. This national bird lives all across the continent of North America from Alaska down to Mexico. As such the bald eagle is one of the most important birds for America and great efforts are put into preserving their natural habitat.
Endangered species
American bald eagles were declared to be an endangered species as their number kept declining. As of nature bald eagles make their nests close to some sort of a water body like lakes, rivers or along the coast. This is their natural habitat. The reason why they like to build their nests close to water bodies is because fish is their main source of food. Salmon in particular happens to be the item of choice which is why a large number of American bald eagles are found in Alaska and other states where there is an abundance of salmon. Alaska alone houses nearly half the population of American eagles in the world which is almost 700,000.
The bald eagle is nicely geared up to survive the cold habitat where it lives. It has a coat of thick feathers lined with down that keeps its body warm. They have feet that are composed mostly of tendon and are virtually cold resistant. This means they can dip their feet in the coldest of waters without getting a chill up their spine. Bald eagles often make use of their beak when fishing and of course while eating. The beak is nonliving material receiving very little blood supply so it is not at all that sensitive to the cold.
The American bald eagle sits on top of the food chain. However this makes them extremely vulnerable to toxic chemicals that are to be found in the environment. As it is each link concentrates chemicals from the link below them so the threat to their health is great.
American Bald Eagle Habitat Features
The eagles are also geared with an incredible wing span that can go up to ten feet for females. The long and broad wings give the eagles a great ability to soar in the skies. They have a natural mechanism that allows them to reduce turbulence while in flight. This happens due to the tapered feathers at the end of the wings. This also gives it ability to spread out its wings to the fullest while in flight.
Eagles make use of rising currents of warm air known as thermals to help them soar in the air. Their flight is further aided by updrafts that are generated by the terrain. Amazingly the American bald eagle can soar in the skies with minimal flapping of the wings. This helps to conserve lots of energy giving it the ability to cover long distances. The birds have a unique flight as they rise high using a thermal and glide down to catch another one. This is the way they cover the distance over their natural habitat.
