July is a patriotic month. Red, white, and blue abounds, and flags fly high, especially on the Fourth. This makes for a fine time to learn more about the American Bald Eagle. Ben Franklin would be huffing and puffing about this column because, in his wisdom, he wanted the country's bird to be the wild turkey. From Mr. Franklin's own writings to his daughter:

In Indiana we can add the bald eagle to our celebrations with great joy. Extinct for many years and threatened in the lower 48 states, this large bird of prey was the object of hunters and later the victim of DDT use on crops. The bald eagle was listed on the Endangered Species List in 1967 because only 417 nesting pairs were in existence. Like our nation, the eagle survives and thrives. Its re-population from 1967 to 1995 was successful. In fact, bald eagles can be spotted over Broad Ripple, Nora, Keystone at the Crossing, and all parts of Indiana where there is open water.

So here are some interesting facts:

• Bald eagles' heads don't become white until their 4th or 5th year. Before then they are brown. (Bald in old English means "white")
• Bald eagles mate for life unless a mate dies, and both male and female incubate the young.
• The bald eagle became the national emblem of the United States in 1782, winning by one vote over the wild turkey.
• This bird builds the largest nest (called eyries) of all U.S. birds. Made of sticks, nests can be up to 13 feet in size and weigh as much as 1 ton.
• A bald eagle averages 7,000 feathers but altogether the feathers weigh 1 pound.
• They nest near bodies of water and eat fish and sometimes small game and carrion.
• Their wingspan can be 6 to 71/2 feet.
• A group of flying eagles is called a "kettle" of eagles.

In 1985, the Bald Eagle Reintroduction Program began in Indiana with the help of the Department of Natural Resources because eagles had not nested here since 1897. The first successful bald eagle nest in Indiana was documented in 1991. Now no longer endangered, they are still protected. I think of our national bird as a symbol of strength, courage, and freedom. But today, if you see a bald eagle flying high over our Indiana landscape, think of it as also a symbol of survival and success.

For more resources: www.baldeagleinfo.com and

www.animalfactguide.com/2013/05/eagle-cam-watch-bald-eagle-chicks-live Alcoa also has one with a view into the nest.