Washington (Bald) Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus washingtoniensis) is found from Alaska east across northern Canada. This has been found as far south as Washington in the western United States. This species is considered endangered and is listed in CITES Appendix I. The brown color and large size are features that help identify this large bird. Examples are known to be over forty inches long. Its wingspan is typically from seven to eight feet. This magnificent bird feeds largely on dead fish. The Bald Eagle is the national bird of the United States.

There are two subspecies.
H. l. washingtoniensis is found from the Aleutian Islands and Alaska across northern Canada to the northern United States. The subspecies leucocephalus is found locally in the United States to NW Mexico.

The fish eagle or sea eagle genus Haliaeetus is found widely in the Old World from Europe to the Orient and south to Africa, Indonesia, and Australia. However, in the New World, this genus is only found in North America and south into northern Mexico. There are 8 species. Although many of these large birds have either a white head or white tail, or both, there are brown members of this genus. These are large birds typically from 27 to 36 inches in length. These birds feed mainly on fish, but the African fish eagle is known to include water birds in its diet including flamingos.

The fish eagles appear to belong near the Old World vultures. However, many field guides place these birds among the conventional eagles. We herein separate them into a separate group as this helps the user navigate through the large number of individual species in the hawk and eagle group. There are two species in the Ichthyophaga genus and eight species in the Haliaeetus genus. With the exception of the American bald eagle, most of these are Old World species. However, two others reach the Aleutian islands and Alaska.

Hawks and Eagles (Family Accipitridae) are a group of 205 species found in most areas of the world. Actually, the common terms of eagle, hawk, kite, buzzard, and vulture are rather loosely used, and consequently, are not much help in understanding this family. Here, this family has been separated into seven groups: typical hawks, Old World vultures, eagles and related hawks, fish eagles, kites, harriers and marsh hawks, and a misc. group. A more precise division might be:
Aegypinae - Old World Vultures -
Elaninae - White Tailed Kites - 7 species
Perninae - Swallowtailed and Hook Billed Kites
Milvinae - True kites -
Accipitrinae - Hunting hawks - 40 species
Buteoninae - Large hawks and eagles - 90 species
Circinae - Harriers and marsh hawks - 17 species
Circaetinae - Serpent eagles

There is no universal agreement on the division of this group, and some authors lump them altogether. We hope our arbitrary separation helps in the study of this group.

Birds of Prey (Order Falconiformes) group contains the eagles, hawks, falcons, Old World vultures, and related birds. The majority of the species in this group feed on small animals, fish, and other birds. A few species eat dead animals. Most of them are excellent fliers and have very strong legs and claws for grasping their prey. There are about 239 species in the hawk and eagle group and about 61 species in the falcon group. When you include the unique osprey and the unique secretary bird, you total about 302 species more or less depending upon a few controversial subspecies.

(The 7 species of New World vultures have recently been placed near the pelicans and storks and were not counted in our 302 number. However, for historical reasons we have left those vultures below here, as our purpose is defining species, and helping users navigate the large number of species.)

Aves contains about 8,650 different species of living birds known to science. Each year about one new species is discovered in some remote rain forest or remote island. In addition, scientists have been raising many subspecies to full species status which may raise the species count to 10,000. Birdlife recognizes 10,027 species as of 2011.

However, each year about one species goes extinct. The rate of extinction is increasing, and the rate of new discovery is decreasing, so that the number of bird species will soon begin to decline rapidly. Although different taxonomists would organize the birds differently, there are approximately twenty-seven orders of birds. These orders are broken down into about one hundred and fifty-five different families.

Recent research of the genetic structure of some of the shore birds and owls would indicate that the present organization of orders and families should have some modification.

The birds are a worldwide group of animals that are characterized by having the front limbs modified into wings that are used for flying. Perhaps the most unique feature of the birds is the feathers. These feathers are made up of a central support called a quill and a series of small filaments that are hooked together as barbs.

For many years it was believed that Archaeopteryx discovered in Bavaria was the oldest bird from about 150 million years ago. However, in l986, Sankar Chattterjee, a Texas paleontologist, reportedly discovered a bird in the genus Protoavis that lived about 225 million years ago.

When this project was begun in 1978, we used Austin & Singer for bird taxonomy. Since then, we have adopted many changes, but have kept some older concepts that are still found widely in the literature. Recently, we have used Clements and Howard & Moore. Very recently, we have used Monroe and Sibley for the higher taxonomy of the perching birds.

Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.

Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.

Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

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