The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America, most recognizable as the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle. Its range includes most of Canada, all of the continental United States, and northern Mexico. It is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting. The Bald Eagle is a large bird, with a body length of 71–96 centimeters (28–38 in), a wingspan of 168–244 centimeters (66–88 in), and a weight of 3–6.3 kilograms (6.6–14 lb); females are about 25 percent larger than males. The adult Bald Eagle has a brown body with a white head and tail, and bright yellow irises, taloned feet, and a hooked beak; juveniles are completely brown except for the yellow feet. Males and females are identical in plumage coloration. Its diet consists mainly of fish, but it is an opportunistic feeder. It hunts fish by swooping down and snatching the fish out of the water with its talons. It is sexually mature at four or five years of age. The species was on the brink of extirpation in the continental United States (while flourishing in much of Alaska and Canada) late in the 20th century, but now has a stable population and has been officially removed from the U.S. federal government's list of endangered species. The Bald Eagle was officially reclassified from "Endangered" to "Threatened" on July 12, 1995 by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and delisted on June 28, 2007.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bald_Eagle

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1776: Captain Nathan Hale, an American Revolutionary spy from the Continental Army, was hanged by British forces. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Hale)

1792: The epoch of the French Republican Calendar, marking the first day of the newly proclaimed French First Republic. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Republican_Calendar)

1862: Slavery in the United States: President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring the freedom of all slaves in Confederate territory by January 1 1863. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation_Proclamation)

1869: Das Rheingold, the first of four operas in Der Ring des Nibelungen by German composer Richard Wagner, was first performed in Munich. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Das_Rheingold)

1965: The United Nations Security Council unanimously passed a resolution calling for an unconditional ceasefire in the Indo-Pakistani War. The conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir ended the following day. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-Pakistani_War_of_1965)

_____________________ Wiktionary's Word of the day:

asthenia: Weakness; loss of strength. (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/asthenia)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

Just practice good, do good for others, without thinking of making yourself known so that you may gain reward. Really bring benefit to others, gaining nothing for yourself. This is the primary requisite for breaking free of attachments to the Self. -- Dōgen (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/D%C5%8Dgen)