Bald Eagle — Birds

The story behind the answer

Bald Eagle: unmistakable white head and tail against a dark brown body and a large yellow bill. Golden Eagles lack the white head (showing a golden nape), Ospreys have a white head with a dark eye stripe and slimmer wings, and African Fish Eagles—though similarly patterned—live in Africa and have rich chestnut bodies.

As the U.S. national bird, Bald Eagles frequent coasts and lakes, feeding mainly on fish and carrion. They don’t show the iconic white head and tail until age 4–5. Once decimated by DDT, they rebounded after legal protections and the pesticide ban. Memory tip: “Bald” comes from “piebald”—think white head. Despite movie soundtracks, their call is a thin, chittering whistle.