I.

Introduction

Eagle, large bird of prey that is active during the daytime. Like other birds of prey, such as hawks and vultures, eagles hunt, kill, and eat other animals. Eagles are found throughout the world except in Antarctica and on some remote ocean islands. Only two kinds of eagles live in North America: the golden eagle and the bald eagle. Among the largest eagles in the world are the harpy eagle of Latin America and the Philippine eagle of Asia. These birds have wingspans as great as 2.5 m (8 ft) and weigh as much as 9 kg (20 lbs). In most eagle species, the female is slightly larger than the male.

The word eagle comes from the ancient Roman name for the golden eagle, aquila. This eagle has been regarded from ancient times as a symbol of courage and power because of its large size, superb flying skills, and its unreachable nest sites in remote, mountainous country. In Roman myths the golden eagle is associated with the principal god, Jupiter. It was the emblem of certain Roman military legions, of France under Napoleon, of Germany, and of the Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires. In 1782 the bald eagle was adopted for the emblem of the United States as a symbol of strength and freedom.