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

With Big Bear Lake glittering in the distance, he raises each foot in a kneading motion — evoking a bald eagle massage.

From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026

Big Bear’s most famous bald eagle family is growing, and now the public has a chance to help choose the monikers for its newest members.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

But we also saved species that were headed for oblivion, including the wild turkey, the wood duck, the bald eagle and—that bane of airports and golf courses everywhere—the Canada goose.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

In fact, Ben Franklin—scientist of the American Enlightenment and one of America’s Founding Fathers—famously argued against adopting the bald eagle as a national symbol for this very reason.

From Slate • Feb. 21, 2026

“I’ll check him for injuries before I try again. After all, a bald eagle hit him.”

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George