Bald Eagle
This month's featured animal is none other than our nation's emblem, the Bald Eagle! Bald Eagles are the second largest bird of prey in North America and the only eagle unique to the continent. Bald Eagles can live anywhere in North America but they prefer areas with ample trees for nests and open waters.
Bald Eagles were nearly extinct in the 1960's due to the use of pesticides that polluted the waters where they relied on fish for their diet. Through the banning of certain pesticides and captive breeding, the Bald Eagle population was brough back to higher numbers and is currently healthy and still growing.
Butte-the Bald Eagle at the River Museum-was born in 1988 at the San Francisco Zoo as a part of the captive breeding program to restore the population before he came to our facility to live out his retirement. In the wild, Bald Eagles can live to be around 30 years of age, but can live up to 47 years under human care!
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