Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus

The second largest raptor (bird of prey), the bald eagle has a wingspan nearly 6 to 8 feet (1.8-2.4 m). After nearly disappearing from most of the United States, the number of nesting pairs in the lower 48 states has increased from barely 400 in 1963 to an estimated high of nearly 10,000 pairs in 2007. Minnesota is home to the second largest bald eagle breeding population, behind only Alaska. The recovery of the bald eagle has been successful enough to remove it from the federal endangered species list. Bald eagles usually nest in large trees within ½-mile (0.8 km) of a lake or river. In spring, watch for pairs doing courtship displays in the sky. In the cartwheel display, a bald eagle pair locks talons and tumbles together toward the ground. In winter, eagles that don't migrate further south gather around areas of open water, especially along the Mississippi River. They prefer fish, but will also eat bird and mammal carrion if available.