Once on the brink of extinction, the North American bird that became a national symbol is thriving again. The bald eagles around Portland, OR used to stay away from the city, but this week one camped out right in front of the KATU news camera overlooking the Willamette River.
The bald eagle's scientific name signifies a sea (halo) eagle (aeetos) with a white (leukos) head. At one time, the word "bald" meant "white," not hairless. Bald eagles are found throughout most of North America, from Alaska and Canada to northern Mexico. About half of the world's 70,000 bald eagles live in Alaska. Combined with British Columbia's population of about 20,000, the northwest coast of North America is by far their greatest stronghold for bald eagles.
That thing about "bald" meaning "white" was something I actually learned from my seven-year-old daughter recently. Link.