Paul Eckhoff, age 13, of Steamboat Rock, WA for his question:

How long does the bald eagle live?

Let’s not call this magnificent bird the bald eagle, for he is not bald at all. His splendid head is covered with a cap of white feathers, As he flies high, so high in the sky, the sun may glint on his snowy head and for a fleeting moment he may seem to be bald. He is, of course, the national emblem of the United States, properly known as the American eagle, Maybe we should call him Mr. America.

The young eaglet is hatched in a high nest made of branches and lined with soft grass and leaves. He may be a twin or one of a set of triplets. At first he is a hungry ball of pale, silky down and his parents are kept busy stuffing food into his wide open bill. Papa swoops down on wings maybe seven feet wide. Mrs. America is somewhat larger and heavier.

Once in a while, the whole family may perch a while on the big, bulky nest. From a high cliff or a tree top, the royal family can gaze out across the countryside far and wide. When danger threatens, Papa utters a loud, clear cry, Cac, cac, cac, Mama's cry is more frightening. Her voice is harsh and shrill and she can scream, The parent birds have amazing eyesight and some people claim that they can spot a scurrying . rabbit from a distance of three miles.

Junior is fed on bits of raw meat, on snakes and rabbits, mice and squirrels, maybe ducks and smaller birds. His main diet, however, is fish. For the royal birds are sea eagles. As a rule, they live only near the shoreline or by inland salt marshes where fish is plentiful.

After a few weeks of loving care from his parents, Junior has grown a coat of dark brown feathers. Soon he learns to spread his wings and his dutiful parents teach him how to fly. His education includes classes in fishing and the hunting of small game.

He studies and practices eaglecraft for two or three years and all this time he is clothed in his dark brown plumage.

At last he is an adult. White feathers appear on his legs. Stiff white pinions appear on his tail. And the brown feathers on his head and face are replaced with the snowy white cap. Soon he will find a mate and the pair of them will select a site for their nest, or aerie. Year after year they will return to the nest to bring up a brood of royal children. Each year a few more sticks and a new lining will be added and in time the aerie becomes very bulky.

Mr. and Mrs. America will stay together throughout their whole lives. With luck, Junior may live in the wild to be more than 20 years old. In captivity, where food is plentiful and enemies are scarce, an American eagle has been known to live for 35 years.