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Bald Eagle Journal

$29.00

acorn designs journal color swatch

The following description appears on the inside cover of your journal.

DESCRIPTION

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

The Bald Eagle is a magnificent, awe-inspiring bird of prey. Found only in North America, they are one of the world’s largest birds having a body size ranging from 28 to 38 inches, with a wingspan of 6 to 7 feet. 

Belonging to the order of Sea Eagles, they are most often found near large bodies of water where they can feast on fresh fish. The adults set up territories, and each breeding pair will build a massive nest of sticks in the crotch of a large tree or on a cliff that will be used year after year. Bald Eagles mate for life and share the duties of incubating eggs, catching food and protecting their young. Pairs stay together throughout the year as near to their nesting territory as food availability and weather conditions will allow, but often they are forced to move south and will gather in large numbers to roost and feed by open water. 

Before European settlers first came to American shores, bald eagles may have numbered half a million. By 1974 there were fewer than 1600 nesting eagles counted in the lower 48 states. The main culprit behind their decline was the pesticide DDT and persecution by farmers and ranchers who considered Bald Eagles a nuisance. Fortunately, DDT was banned in the U.S. in 1983 and populations began to recover. The bald eagle population has flourished, growing to more than 71,400 nesting pairs and climbed to an estimated 316,700 individual bald eagles in the lower 48 states. 

Eagles have long been considered powerful omens. Many Pacific Coast tribes carve them into their totem poles as a symbol of strength, friendship and prestige. An eagle is perched on top of the Haudenosaunee Great Tree of Peace as a messenger to protect peace. In 1782 this raptor was chosen as the national symbol for the United States of America. 

Bald Eagles are held by many people as sacred, an embodiment of divine. They are masters of the Sky-World who inspire our spirits to soar. For all that the Bald Eagle represents, the fact remains that they need a plentiful food source and a secluded nesting place to survive in the wild. As a nation who has honored the Bald Eagle as an emblem of freedom, let us ensure we give them the clean water, space, and protection that they need.

artwork Michael DiGiorgio

text Kara Jean Hagedorn

artwork and text ©Acorn Designs