Bald Eagle

A white head and white tail feathers distinguish the bald eagle from other hawks and eagles common in the Northwest Territories. A full-grown eagle stands up to a metre in height with a wingspan of up to two metres or about 8 feet. They construct large nests of sticks in trees, near water, where they fish for food. They have powerful beaks and talons that they use to tear apart their prey. Eagles mature at about four years of age, when they sport their distinctive white and glossy brown markings. Bald eagles migrate south for the winter, returning each spring to the same locations. They are thought to mate for life.