Imagine trying to survive in near lakes, rivers and coasts across North America. For many animals, a habitat like this would be impossible. Yet the bald eagle, a bird about 2 meters from wingtip to wingtip, thrives there, thanks to features that scientists call adaptations: traits that help a living thing survive in its environment.
Consider sharp, curved claws called talons: this adaptation let it snatch fish out of the water. The word talons refers to the sharp claws of a bird of prey. Equally important is eyesight several times sharper than a person's, which lets it spot fish from high in the sky. Without these traits, the bald eagle would struggle to last a single season.
As a carnivore, the bald eagle is an animal that eats other animals; it depends on fish, ducks and small mammals. Its behavior matters as much as its body: it builds enormous nests at the tops of tall trees and reuses them year after year. Behaviors like this are adaptations too, even though you cannot see them in a photograph.
The next generation faces the same challenges. Young bald eagles, called eaglets, depend on their surroundings and on adult care. Eaglets are covered in soft gray down and learn to fly at about three months old.
Perhaps most remarkable of all: some bald eagle nests have grown to weigh more than a small car. Facts like this remind us that every animal's body tells a story about the place it lives.