Q 01/05

Why is the bald eagle called 'bald'?

A) Chicks hatch without head feathers

B) Adults lose their crown feathers with age

C) Early settlers mistook it for a vulture

D) From an old meaning of the word: white-headed

Answer · why

D) From an old meaning of the word: white-headed

The species name leucocephalus says the same thing in Greek: 'white head'.

Q 02/05

The bald eagle belongs to which genus?

A) Aquila, the true eagles

B) Circaetus, the snake eagles

C) Haliaeetus, the sea eagles

D) Harpia, the harpy eagles

Answer · why

C) Haliaeetus, the sea eagles

The genus name is Greek for 'sea eagle'; its Old World counterpart has a tan head instead of a white one.

Q 03/05

What does the bald eagle mainly eat?

A) Rabbits

B) Snakes

C) Fish

D) Carrion only

Answer · why

C) Fish

Across 20 diet studies fish made up 56%, birds 28% and mammals 14%; more than 400 prey species are on the list.

Q 04/05

Which sex of bald eagle is larger?

A) Females

B) Males

C) Neither; they match

D) It depends on latitude

Answer · why

A) Females

Plumage is identical, so size is the only clue; the biggest Alaskan hens top 7 kg with a 2.4-metre wingspan.

Q 05/05

The bald eagle builds the largest tree nest of any animal; one Florida nest weighed how much?

A) About 3 tons

B) About 300 kg

C) About 30 kg

D) About 10 tons

Answer · why

A) About 3 tons

It was 6.1 metres deep and 2.9 across; nests are reused and topped up every year until the branches give way.