Adults have a dark brown body with a white head and tail, yellow eyes and beak. The immatures are all dark with some white mottled in the wings and tail. The eyes and beak are dark. As the birds mature around 4 to 5 yrs of age they start getting the white tail and head and the eyes and beak start turning yellow.  A mature adult will have a wingspan 6 1/2 to 8 feet and a length of 31 to 37 inches and weighs from 10 to 12 pounds.  Females are the heavier of the species.

Bald Eagles nest on the edge of rivers, lakes, or sea shores. In winter and on migration they can be found where there is open     water attracting sufficient food, and evening roost sites. Formerly distributed fully across North America, they are now limited to breeding in Alaska, Canada, the northern Great Lakes states, Florida, and the Pacific Northwest.  Bald Eagles move south for the winter to open water areas that attract large numbers of waterfowl or dying fish.

It is generally believed that the bald eagle stays mated to one partner for life. However, current research is yielding evidence that this might not be completely true.  Nonetheless, bald eagle pairs go through a series of behaviors in preparing to mate that bond them to one another. Pair bonding activity for both new and established pairs begins in the fall. Courtship behavior and nest building can occur anytime between October and early December. As winter begins and daylight hours are reduced, the bonding activities wind down. Courtship rituals resume in late January as the days begin to lengthen again. Although many steps and activities are involved in the mating behavior of the bald eagle, the most noticeable and spectacular part of this process is the aerial display between the mates.  Beginning in early February, the male bald eagle will put on an aerial display of ritualized movements showing his mate his readiness. If receptive, the female will join him in flight. This activity is then followed by more ritual movements and gestures before actual mating occurs. As outstanding as this display is, scientists credit the activity that occurs during nest building as the most important element in cementing the pair bond.

Bald Eagle's build large stick nests (sometimes weighing over 1 ton) that are usually about 6 feet in diameter and over 6 feet tall. Nests are built near the top of the largest trees near a river or lake. The female lays 1 to 3 eggs, approximately 36 hours apart, in mid-February to late March. Both she and her mate spend time on the nest incubating. This process usually lasts 35 days, with the young hatching in late March through early May. The eaglets will stay in the nest 10 to 12 weeks and both parents share the feeding responsibilities. The eaglets begin limb hopping as they strengthen their wings. The fledging process continues for four to eight weeks; all the while the eaglets slowly broaden their range from the nest, but continue to depend on their parents for food. The young birds generally become independent at 17 to 20 weeks of age.

Ohio has the distinction of being the home of the largest bald eagle nest on record.  Referred to as the "Great Nest," it was located in Vermilion and was measured at 12 feet in height, 8 1/2 feet across and it weighed two tons! The nest was 80 feet up in the tree, which is within the normal placement range of 50 to 100 feet above ground. This nest was used continuously by different pairs of eagles for over 35 years. It was destroyed during a storm in 1925.

Bald Eagles commonly feed on fish which they will catch themselves, find dead, or pirate from other birds such as the Osprey. They will also feed on a variety of carrion or live prey including waterfowl and other birds, turtles, and rabbits.

The Bald Eagle was listed as an "Endangered Species" throughout most of the U.S. with the exception of Alaska where it is not listed, and Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Washington, Oregon and Florida where it was considered "threatened". In 1995 the Bald Eagle's status has since changed to "threatened" for the entire United States.