Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). The bald eagle is a bird of prey native to North America, and famous as the national bird of the USA. They live on the coasts and by lakes and rivers, feeding on fish, birds and mammals. Numbers of bald eagles in the wild fell significantly in the 20th century, partly due to their being hunted as pests and partly due to the deadly and unforeseen effects of the pesticide DDT. However, the species is now protected in America and populations are stable.