The
bald eagle (
Haliaeetus leucocephalus, from Greek
hali "sea",
aietos "
eagle",
leuco "white",
cephalos "head") is a
bird of prey found in North America. A
sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a
species pair with the
white-tailed eagle (
Haliaeetus albicilla). Its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the
contiguous United States, and northern Mexico. It is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting.