Bald Eagle (American Eagle)

The Bald Eagle is North America's iconic raptor, instantly recognizable in adulthood by its snow-white head and tail contrasting with a dark brown body and bright yellow bill. As apex predators, they exhibit powerful flight, keen eyesight, and a preference for fish, waterfowl, and carrion.

Striking dark chocolate-brown to black coloration with rich iridescence on the exposed pennaceous tip, grading into a lighter grayish-brown and transitioning to a stark white or pale gray downy base.

Pennaceous at the upper exposed tip providing a smooth water-resistant shield, transitioning to a plumulaceous (fluffy, downy) base lacking hooked barbicels for thermal insulation.

Smooth, glossy, and firm on the exposed dark distal portion; soft, plush, and downy at the proximal base.

Rich dark brown to black pennaceous tip with a glossy sheen, transitioning sharply into a fluffy white or pale base, characteristic of adult Bald Eagle body contour feathers.

Found near large bodies of open water with old-growth trees for nesting and roosting, including lakes, reservoirs, rivers, coastal estuaries, and marine shores.

Inhabits North America, ranging from Alaska and Canada down through the contiguous United States and into northern Mexico.

Acts as an apex avian predator helping to maintain healthy aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems by preying on fish, waterfowl, and scavenging dead animal matter.

Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), whose body feathers are typically more uniform dark brown without the stark white base transition, and large hawks such as the Red-tailed Hawk which are significantly smaller.

Bald Eagles build the largest tree nests recorded for any animal species, sometimes weighing over two tons and measuring up to 10 feet across after being reused and added to for decades.

Good condition; the distal vane is intact with minimal wear, though the soft base shows slight natural fraying typical of detached body feathers.