The Bald Eagle

This article was sent to us by one of our readers.

This is amazing! It is no wonder there are scriptural references to the eagle. And, no wonder the bald eagle has such a significant symbolism to our country. What hope!

Focus On Rebirth

The eagle can live up to 70 years. But, to reach this age, an eagle has to make a hard decision.

In its 40s, its long and flexible talons can no longer grab the prey that serves as its food. Its long and sharp beak becomes bent. Its old-age and heavy wings, due to the thick feathers, become stuck to its chest and make it difficult to fly.

Then, the eagle is left with only two options: die or go through a painful process of change that lasts 150 days.

The process requires that the eagle fly to a mountain top and sit on its nest. There the eagle knocks its beak against a rock until it plucks it out. After plucking it out, the eagle will wait for a new beak to grow back, and then it will pluck out its talons.

When the new talons grow back, the eagle starts plucking its old-age feathers.

And, after five months, the eagle takes its famous flight of rebirth and can now live for 30 more years.

Other Eagle Details

• When it rains, most birds head for shelter; the eagle is the only bird that, in order to avoid the rain, starts flying above the clouds.

• An amazing tidbit about the eagle's eyesight: The eagle can probably identify a rabbit moving almost a mile away. That means that an eagle flying at an altitude of 1,000 feet over open country could spot prey over an area of almost 3 square miles from a fixed position.

- From An Anonymous Ornithologist

When it rains, most birds head for shelter; the eagle is the only bird that, in order to avoid the rain, starts flying above the clouds...

An amazing tidbit about the Eagle's eyesight: The eagle can probably identify a rabbit moving almost a mile away. That means that an eagle flying at an altitude of 1000 feet over open country could spot prey over an area of almost 3 square miles from a fixed position.