Meet the bald eagle. It is a big bird that eats fish and builds a huge nest.

A bald eagle's body is about 28 to 38 inches long. Female eagles are larger than males. A big female can weigh as much as 14 pounds, about 6.5 kilograms.

An eagle sees at least four times better than a person. A hungry eagle waits on a favorite perch until it sees a fish near the surface of the water. It grabs the fish with the sharp talons on its toes.

An eagle takes a fish from near the surface and does not dive under the water. Eagles also eat ducks and small animals such as rabbits.

A bald eagle's voice is weak and high. It is not a scream.

A grown-up bald eagle has a white head. The word bald in the name probably comes from an old English word, balde, that meant white.

An eagle pair builds its nest out of large sticks. The pair comes back to the same nest year after year and adds more sticks, twigs and grass. Some nests weigh as much as a ton.

A pair most often lays two eggs, and sometimes one or three. The eggs hatch after about 35 days.

The eaglets are light gray when they hatch and turn brown later. They stay in the nest for 10 to 12 weeks.

Young bald eagles are mostly brown. They get their white head and tail when they are about four or five years old.

Words to know

• perch: a high seat
• talons: sharp claws
• balde: white
• eaglets: baby eagles