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Bald Eagle (Family Accipitridae, Haliaeetus leucocephalus) The bald eagle, also known as the fish eagle or the American eagle, is native throughout North America. They are about 30-34 inches tall and have wingspans between 6 and 8 feet wide. Bald eagles have two races, the northern and southern. The northern is larger and an Alaskan female bald eagle can get as big as a female golden eagle. They get their white head and tail at 4-5 years of age, mate for life, and build one of the largest nests of any bird of prey! They very nearly lost to the turkey as our national symbol because they are creatures of "bad moral character." (Benjamin Franklin) Once nearly extinct, they were downgraded from Endangered to Threatened in 2000.