The American bald eagle (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus) was adopted as the official bird emblem of the United States of America in 1782. The bald eagle was chosen because of it's majestic beauty, great strength, long life, and because it's native to North America. In the wild, an eagle will live 30-35 years (up to 50 years in captivity). A full-grown bald eagle has a wingspan up to 7 feet. They fly up to 30 miles an hour and can dive at 100 miles an hour! Eagles feed primarily on fish, supplemented by small mammals, waterfowl, and carrion.