<P> The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus, from Greek hali "sea", aiētos "eagle", leuco "white", cephalos "head") is a bird of prey found in North America . A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white - tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla). Its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico . It is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old - growth trees for nesting . </P> <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>

Where did the bald eagle get its name