Bald eagles are rare in Alabama, but it’s a miracle they’re here at all

Most Americans recognize bald eagles by their fuzzy white heads and large yellow beaks. After all, they’re the symbol of the United States.

But how well do you really know them?

“They’re a really cool symbol that people nearly drove to extinction,” said Joe Watts with Alabama Audubon , the local chapter of the national birding society.

First, let’s clear up a little misinformation:

The piercing cry you hear in movies when an eagle flies over the scene is not from an eagle. It’s actually the call of a red-tailed hawk , another Alabama resident. Eagles don’t have that pretty of a call, Watts said. It’s more of a high-pitched whistling sound.

And, no, Auburn’s War Eagle isn’t a bald eagle. The eagle that will soar over Jordan-Hare stadium on Saturday evening is a golden eagle, even