This
is an adult bald eagle. Did you notice this eagle is holding a fish
dinner with his feet? These
powerful feet have sharp and strong claw-like toes called talons. They
are used to grip and hold. Eagles swoop down into cold water to grab
fish with their talons. The talons
hold their food while they tear apart the flesh with their sharp, pointed
beaks.
This
eagle has long, strong-looking legs covered with feathers. The feathers
help keep his legs warm and dry. The eagle's dark body feathers are
good at absorbing sunlight, a big help when the eagle is fishing
on a frigid January day. After plunging for a fish, any ice that
forms on the feathers will quickly melt as the sun hits those dark
feathers. Bald eagles have about 7,000 feathers!
His
broad chest must be very powerful. Bald eagles can have an eight foot
wingspan.
That means each wing is almost four feet long. Many of the muscles
that power these wings are in the chest area.
Photos: Ray Foster (top) Jon McRay (bottom)
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