Bald Eagle for Kids Ages 6-8

Bald Eagle

A Bald Eagle tells its life story, from its majestic appearance and role as a national symbol since June 20th, 1782, to the challenges faced in the mid-1900s due to the pesticide DDT. The eagle explains how the banning of DDT in 1972 led to a successful recovery, culminating in being removed from the endangered species list in 2007. The story highlights the importance of conservation and how people can help nature heal.

Chosen as National Emblem of the USA 1782

Bald Eagle Protection Act Passed 1940

DDT Banned in the United States 1972

A Bald Eagle's Story

Hello, I am a Bald Eagle, and I soar high in the sky. My head is covered in beautiful, bright white feathers, which is how I got my name. A long time ago, the word 'piebald' meant 'white-headed,' and people started calling me a Bald Eagle. It doesn't mean I have no feathers at all. My beak is a large, hooked yellow color and has a sharp curve, perfect for tearing flesh, including slippery fish. But my best feature is my eyes. They are so powerful that I have vision approximately 4 to 5 times sharper than humans, enabling me to spot prey from significant distances, though not necessarily a tiny fish from a mile away. I am a great hunter due to my exceptional vision, flight skills, and environmental adaptations.

My mate and I build our home high up in the tallest trees, usually near a river or a big lake where there are plenty of fish. Our nest is called an eyrie, and it’s one of the biggest nests made by any bird in the world. We work together, using sticks and grass to make it strong and cozy for our chicks. We come back to the same nest year after year, adding more to it each time. A very special thing happened for my kind on June 20th, 1782. On that day, the Bald Eagle was featured on the Great Seal of the United States, but it was officially designated as the national bird on December 24, 2024. We became a symbol of strength and freedom for everyone to see.

There was a time when my family was in great danger. During the mid-1900s, people started using a chemical on farms called DDT. This chemical washed into the rivers and got into the fish that I ate for dinner. The DDT didn't make me sick right away, but it did something very sad to the eggs I laid. It made the shells so thin and weak that they would break before my baby chicks were ready to hatch. Because of this, very few baby eagles were born, and our numbers became smaller and smaller. We were in danger of disappearing forever.

But then, something wonderful happened. People saw that we were in trouble and decided to help. In 1972, a new rule was made to stop the use of DDT. The ban on DDT led to a gradual decrease in contamination levels in fish, improving their safety for consumption over time. Soon, the eggshells I laid were strong once more. My family began to grow, and more and more eagles filled the skies. Our comeback was so great that by the year 2007, we were taken off the endangered species list. My story is a happy one because it shows that when people care about nature, they can work together to help animals like me. My journey shows that we can all help protect the world we share.