Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

An American Bird: Unique to North America, the bald eagle can be found along lakes, rivers, marshes and seacoasts across all 50 states except Hawaii. The bald eagle, so named because of its bald appearance due to a patch of white feathers on top of its head, is the only eagle native to North America.

Built to Kill: Bald eagles, as part of the group known as birds of prey, have acute eyesight, muscular legs and sharp bills. Most birds of prey hunt during the daytime unlike owls. They make their homes along lakes and rivers where fish is plentiful, a dietary staple.

Mates for Life: Bald eagles will pair for life. Bonding between pairs occurs through intricate aerial acrobatics. Together the couple builds massive nests by creating a web of sticks in a tall tree or sometimes a cliff.

From Eaglet to Eagle: A clutch includes two or three white eggs each season. The plumage of newly born eaglets is light gray, but turns dark brown by the time they leave the nest at 12 weeks. Adults are mottled brown with a white crown and white feathers under their wings. By 4 or 5 years of age, a bald eagle's beak and eyes turn yellow. Their wingspan is between 6 and 8 feet.

Ostrich

Struthio camelus

A Family By Itself: The ostrich is in a family by itself — literally. Only one species of ostrich exists and this single species has been placed in a family (Struthionidae) separate from other birds.

The Awkward Ostrich: With its massive body, long, skinny, bare neck, tiny head and small wings relative to its body, the ostrich looks awkward and out of proportion. The ostrich cannot fly, but this bird can run, traveling up to 45 mph for as long 30 minutes.

Shrinking Habitat: Ostriches typically form mixed-sex herds and travel long distances in search of grass and plants for food. At one time the ostrich could be found across Africa and West Asia. Today, their home range has decreased to only eastern and southern Africa.

Flamingo

Colored Crimson: There are five species of flamingo, ranging in height from under 32 inches to over 50 inches. Feather color also varies according to species, ranging from pale pink to crimson or vermilion. Feather color is a reflection of the food the flamingo eats, which is high in alpha- and beta-carotene.

Taste for the Unusual: This distinctive, long-legged bird can be found in mangrove swamps, lagoons, lakes or other brackish water of Central and South America, the West Indies and the Galapagos Islands, where seeds, blue-green algae, crustaceans, and mollusks, algae, mollusks, and larvae chrysalides of brine-flies and brine-shrimps can be easily sifted from the water and mud.

Pelican

Flying and Swimming: The pelican, with its large body and elongated bill, looks like it shouldn't be able to get off the ground when in fact it is a strong flier. Pelicans are also excellent swimmers thanks, in part, to their large webbed feet, which help with propulsion and steering. The distinct throat pouch is ideal for catching fish as well as rainwater for drinking.

Pelican Species: The Dalmatian pelican is the largest of its kind, with a wingspan of up to 11.5 feet and a weight of up to 33 pounds. Most pelicans feed off the surface of the water, but the brown pelican — the smallest pelican species — prefers to plunge in the water from as high up as 30 feet to capture its prey.

Falcon

Prey During the Day: Falcons, as part of the group known as birds of prey, have acute eyesight, muscular legs and sharp bills. Most birds of prey hunt during the daytime, unlike owls.

World's Fastest Birds: Some species of falcon are barred forest falcon, Eleonora's falcon and the peregrine falcon. The peregrine falcon is one of the fastest birds in the world and can be found on every continent, except Antarctica. In this species females are 30 percent larger than the males. The peregrine falcon is a powerful flier and attacks its prey in a steep dive, during which it may reach a speed of 145 mph.

Falcon Conservation: The 1950s saw a steep decline in peregrine falcon populations due to DDT pollution. Through conservation efforts this falcon is making a slow comeback.

Hummingbird

A Packet of Energy: Hummingbirds may be small, but they pack a lot energy in those tiny bodies. They come in a variety of dazzling colors, and due to the structure of their wings, they are the only birds with the ability to fly backward and upside down. They beat their wings rapidly; smaller species can flap their wings up to 80 times a second.

Nose for Nectar: The ruby-throated hummingbird migrates from Central America to Canada yearly, a trip that is nearly 2,000 miles long. All that acrobatic flying needs energy, which they get from sipping nectar through their small beaks. The bill size and shape often matches the shape of their favorite flowers. Hummingbirds will also feed on insects and tree sap.

Tiny to Very Tiny: The largest hummingbird, aptly named the giant hummingbird, is still tiny, weighing in at no more than .8 ounces (approximately 23 grams). The smallest species — and smallest bird in the world — is the bee hummingbird, which weighs no more than 0.06 ounces (approximately 1.6 grams). It's the size of, well, a bee.

 Penguin

Little Man in a Tuxedo: Who doesn't like to watch "the little man in a tuxedo" parading around a landscape of ice? Their hesitant waddle on land, however, belies a penguin's ability in the water. With streamlined bodies, a thick coat that keeps out the cold and repels water, and flipperlike wings, naturally penguins spend most of their lives in the water.

Penguin Parenthood: Penguins breed in colonies, and males and females take turns tending to the one or two eggs that are laid per season. While the off-duty parent goes in search of food, the guardian parent supports the egg between the top of its feet and a thick fold of skin that hangs from its belly to keep the incubating egg warm.

From Emperor to Little: The largest penguin is the emperor penguin and is recognizable, not only by its nearly 4-foot height, but by the yellow, gray and black markings of the upper body and wings. The little penguin is the smallest of its kind at barely 16 inches high.

Built-In Waterproofing: Penguins preen their feathers meticulously to maintain insulation and waterproofing. A gland near the penguin's tail secretes oil into its feathers, which the bird will spread thoroughly while preening.

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