January 17 is Bald Eagle Appreciation Day. Did you know that our national bird is the only eagle that’s unique to North America? Here are some other facts about bald eagles you can use to celebrate the day or teach your children (or use at your next trivia contest).

• Bald meant “white” at one point in time instead of hairless; that’s why they’re called bald eagles.
• Bald eagles were listed as an endangered species in 1967. They were removed from the endangered species list in 2007, though they are still given some protection from the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
• By law, people cannot sell, trade, transport, export, import or even possess eagles or their nests or eggs without a permit. Only Native Americans are legally allowed to possess eagles as a symbol of their culture.
• The world has about 70,000 bald eagles left. Half of these live in Alaska, largely due to the salmon population that the birds like to eat.
• Bald eagles found in the north are known to be a little bit bigger than the bald eagles of the south.
• Bald eagles can be found as north as Canada and as south as Mexico.
• Another large chunk of the bald eagle population resides in British Columbia; about 20,000 of the birds live there.
• Female eagles are the same color as male eagles, though they are bigger than the males. Neither male nor female bald eagles have feathers on their legs.
• The bald eagle’s diet is largely made up of dead or dying fish.
• The life of a bald eagle depends on its size and location. The average lifespan is 20 years; the oldest known bald eagle in the wild lived 30 years. Bald eagles in captivity can live longer; one bald eagle lived in captivity in New York for almost 50 years.
• Young bald eagles are brown and speckled with white until they are about five years old, which is when eagles can begin to reproduce.
• Not only are a bald eagle’s talons and beak bright yellow—their eyes are as well.
• Bald eagles use their hind toe talon to pierce their prey while their front toes hold the prey still.
• Bald eagles are a member of the Accipitradae family. This means that they are related to vultures, hawks, and kites.