Eagle Aviary Program: Eagle Facts Main  |   Eagle Bios  |   Release Videos  |   Current Facility   |   Facility Expansion  |   Eagle Facts Pictures  |   Tribal Feather Application  |   Other Links  |   Contact Information The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a member of the sea and fish eagle group. Juvenile bald eagles are a mixture of brown and white. An eagle reaches sexual maturity at around four or five years of age. This is when they get their white heads. Size - The female bald eagle is 35 to 37 inches, slightly larger than the male. Wingspan ranges from 72 to 90 inches. Bald eagles can fly to an altitude of 10,000 feet. During level flight, they can achieve speeds of about 30 to 35 mph. Adult Bald eagles weigh from eight (Southern male) to fourteen (Northern female) pounds, but were 10 ounces at birth. Eagle bones are light ( ~1/2 pound), because they are hollow. The beak, talons, and feathers are made of keratin. Bald eagles have just over 7,000 feathers, which weigh less than 21 oz. Longevity - Wild bald eagles may live as long as 30 years, but as much as 45 in captivity Diet - Mainly fish, but they will take advantage of carrion (dead and decaying flesh). The eagle is a strong swimmer, but if the water is very cold, it may be overcome by hypothermia. Fidelity - Once paired, bald eagles remain together until one dies. Eagles lay from one to three eggs. The 35 days of incubation duties are shared by both male and female. Today, there are an estimated 7,066 nesting pairs of bald eagles. Eagles molt in patches, taking almost half a year to replace feathers, starting with the head and working downward. The Eagle became the National emblem in 1782 when the great seal of the United States was adopted. All eagles are renowned for their remarkable eyesight. An Eagles vision is about five times sharper than our own. An eagle can spot a target as small as a rabbit up to a mile away. In addition, an eagle has excellent depth perception due to the overlap, of the right and left fields of vision.