"American Bald Eagle Portrait" was photographed in November 2019 at Oatland Island Wildlife Center in Savannah, GA.
This eagle is a captive eagle at Oatland Island Wildlife Center. Captive eagle's are kept at this wildlife center to help educate the public about these birds of prey. They are also kept at this wildlife center because they have received injuries that prevent them from surviving in the wild.
I think this portrait still shows the strength and majesty that is inherent in their DNA. They are fierce birds of prey in the wild and can capture small mammals as well as fish. Fish are their primary diet. They are also a true conservation success story. Their numbers have actually increased since the 1960s. In the 1970s they were listed for protection under the Endangered Species Act. In the 1980s, after the ban of DDT and gentler treatment from humans, they have made a dramatic recovery.
The Bald Eagle has long been used as a symbol of honesty, truth, majesty, courage, wisdom, power, and freedom. The Bald Eagle is our national symbol in the United States of America as well as the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America. They are believed by some to have a connection to God as they soar high in the sky.