Eagles have amazing eyesight and can see some prey from two miles away! In fact, they can see both forward and sideways at the same time. Eagles are at the top of the food chain (they have no predators), and they can reach speeds of 100 mph when they dive for food. Their favorite food is fish, which they can pluck right out of the water with their strong talons. Eagles can also fly using air currents at heights of 10,000 ft and soar for hours at speeds of 40 mph.

Female eagles are usually larger than male eagles, though both are around 3 feet long with wingspans from 6-7.5 feet. Pairs mate for life and often reuse nests year after year. The female may lay up to three eggs a year, and their nests can be quite large, averaging 5 feet wide and 2 feet deep.

Bald eagles were declared to be the national bird of the United States in 1782. Nearly two hundred years later, during the 1970s, bald eagles were considered to be endangered, but they’ve since made a remarkable comeback with the help of government protections. In 2007, they were actually removed from the Federal Endangered Species list.