bald eagle

American  

noun

1. a large, fish-eating eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, of the U.S. and Canada, having dark golden-brown back and wings, and white plumage on the head and tail in the adult: some recently endangered populations are now recovering.

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bald eagle British  

noun

1. a large eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus , of North America, having a white head and tail, a yellow bill, and dark wings and body. It is the US national bird

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Etymology

Origin of bald eagle

An Americanism dating back to 1680–90

Example Sentences

A naming contest has been launched for the two eaglets born this month to proud and plumed parents Jackie and Shadow, the widely followed Big Bear bald eagle pair whose lives are streamed online.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

A naming contest has been launched for the two eaglets born earlier this month to proud and plumed parents Jackie and Shadow, the widely followed bald eagle pair whose lives are streamed online.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Occasionally, she’d draw and share illustrations, such as of a crosswalk sign and a bald eagle she had spotted.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

But no matter where you’re from, there’s another piece of bald eagle lore people are starting to forget—that just a few decades ago, we nearly lost the birds to extinction.

From Slate • Feb. 21, 2026

“Hello, Sammy,” he said to a magnificent bald eagle.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George