Cheryl McGlaughlsn, age 10, of Sunbury, ia, for her question:
Where is the home of our National Bird?
Cheryl wants to pay a call on Mr. America in his natural habitat. He is, of course, the American eag1e, our national emblem. He is also called the bald eagle, but this is most unfair. The huge, magnificent bird is not bald. Far from it. His neck and his proud head are covered with snowy white foathers. As he soars aloft, his six foot wings outspread, his snowy hand glistens in the sun and Mr. America appears to be a baldy. His wide tail also is white and the rest of his plumage is brown.
Mr. America dines mostly on fish, so we would expect to find him near the water, and so we do, at one time he was common up and down the length of our eastern and western shores and around grent inland lakes. But man the hunter drove him from most of his natural range. Fortunately, this emblem hunting era is now at an end. The big, white‑headed eagle is now protected all over our land. Any hunter who shoots him runs afoul the law.
Mr. America no longer hovers over our inland lakes. He is gone from most of our shorelines. He survives in any numbers only along Florida's marshy shores and the bleak shores of Alaska. Only rarely do we see him outside these two retreats. When we reach his habitat it is not hard to find the home of the big bird. His nest, which may weigh a ton, will be in the top of a lofty pine or some other giant tree.
The monster nest is not all built at one time. When the newly married Mr. and Mrs. America choose a home they plan to settle there for life. And, like any true American family, they are great ones for home improvement. They build a nest and return to it year after year. And. each year they add to it. Since the nest is made from sturdy sticks and branches it becomes very heavy. Sometimes the size and weight of it will kill the tree and everything comes tumbling down.
Mrs. America lays two or three large eggs. The hungry babies are dresssed entirely in brown. In fact, the American eagle is an all brown bird until he is several years old. Only then does he reach maturity and have his beautiful white head and tail.
To be sure of finding the American eagle at home you would have to travel to Florida or Alaska. To find his nest you would have to search the tall woodlands near the sea. Lock for a sizeable tree house high to a tall ping. Maybe the house is deserted. If so, the parents will return in time to repair and improve it for their next broad of national emblems.
A few people have risked a close look into the eaglets nest. But this is dangerous. The tree is tall and hard to climb. And woe be to any trespasser should Mr. or Mrs. America return.
The American eagle settles down happily to zoo life. He will even nest in captivity. But only in the wild can we watch him soaring aloft with huge wings outspread and snowy hoad glistening in the sun.