Bald Eagle whose Latin name Haliaeetus leucoephalus means “white headed sea eagle”.

Totem:  A natural object or animal believed to have great power and spiritual significance, often used as a symbol. Eagle as Totem: Acknowledged by Native Americans in their Medicine Wheel as a Spirit Keeper, a power animal who represents the East where the sun rises.They believe eagle is a visionary who brings the ability to stay focused and that those graced with meeting an eagle are said to receive the gifts of clarity, insight, wisdom and new beginnings. Eagle has keen vision, possessing a strong connection between earth and sky.

On the first day of June this handsome Bald Eagle swooped down upon two family members, a father and daughter as they stood in their dooryard. Startled they called to older sister and mother to come see this magnificent bird who after breezing past them calmly perched in a maple tree not far from where they stood. A short while later the Wizard and I arrived to find the two children sitting very still on a wood pile beneath this tree, their parents standing beside them, looking up in awe. The children frantically pointed upwards, too excited to speak. There calmly sat a proud Bald Eagle, unperturbed by our gathering. As we watched he quietly left his perch, swooped down low before us, then gracefully soared skyward, far above to the places all hopes and dreams go .

Bald Eagles are birds of prey also called raptors. They have excellent eyesight and can see for up to a mile. These birds have large hooked beaks and sharp talons on the ends of their toes designed for catching, holding and lifting prey as well as for defense. Their voices are high pitched and shrill, often described as twittering. Diet consists primarily of fish and small mammals, including dead and decaying ones. Bald Eagles fly up to 30 miles per hour and can dive at speeds close to 100 mph. With an average body length of 37 inches and weighing 10 to 14 pounds the females are slightly larger than the males and can have a 7 foot plus wingspan.

Bald Eagles live near coastal waterways, lakes and rivers as fish make up 60 to 90 percent of their diet. They mate for life, building nests together high in the tops of large trees. Nests can measure 10 feet across and may take over 2 weeks to build. Eagles are territorial and a mated pair may return to the same nest for several years. Females lay 1 to 3 eggs in early spring, usually 2, which incubate for 35 days and hatch in late May or early June here in Maine. Both male and females sit on the eggs and raise their young eaglets together until the juvenile eagles leave the nest after about 13 weeks. Young Bald Eagles are mottled brownish and white in color and it takes 5 years for their head and tail feathers to turn white. Mature eagles are dark brown with a pure white head and tail feathers. Bald Eagles are found throughout the continent of North America with the largest populations found in the Pacific Northwest. They migrate in winter to places where the water does not freeze over so they can continue to catch fish their favorite food source.

On June 20, 1782 the Bald Eagle became the official emblem of the United States, a living symbol representing our nations freedom and strength. Bald Eagles have been a protected species since 1940 and it is against the law for humans to hunt or capture them. These majestic eagles can live up to 35 years.