<P> The bald eagle is an opportunistic feeder which subsists mainly on fish, which it swoops down and snatches from the water with its talons . It builds the largest nest of any North American bird and the largest tree nests ever recorded for any animal species, up to 4 m (13 ft) deep, 2.5 m (8.2 ft) wide, and 1 metric ton (1.1 short tons) in weight . Sexual maturity is attained at the age of four to five years . </P> <P> Bald eagles are not actually bald; the name derives from an older meaning of the word, "white headed". The adult is mainly brown with a white head and tail . The sexes are identical in plumage, but females are about 25 percent larger than males . The beak is large and hooked . The plumage of the immature is brown . </P> <P> The bald eagle is both the national bird and national animal of the United States of America . The bald eagle appears on its seal . In the late 20th century it was on the brink of extirpation in the contiguous United States . Populations have since recovered and the species was removed from the U.S. government's list of endangered species on July 12, 1995 and transferred to the list of threatened species . It was removed from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in the Lower 48 States on June 28, 2007 . </P> <P> The plumage of an adult bald eagle is evenly dark brown with a white head and tail . The tail is moderately long and slightly wedge - shaped . Males and females are identical in plumage coloration, but sexual dimorphism is evident in the species, in that females are 25% larger than males . The beak, feet and irises are bright yellow . The legs are feather - free, and the toes are short and powerful with large talons . The highly developed talon of the hind toe is used to pierce the vital areas of prey while it is held immobile by the front toes . The beak is large and hooked, with a yellow cere . The adult bald eagle is unmistakable in its native range . The closely related African fish eagle (H. vocifer) (from far outside the bald eagle's range) also has a brown body, white head and tail, but differs from the bald in having a white chest and black tip to the bill . </P>

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