Many people believe the bald eagle got its name because its white head makes it look bald - but it really owes its name to Middle English. In Middle English, the word "balled" meant "shining white." Since the adult bald eagle's head and neck feathers are all white, it got the name "balled eagle," meaning "white eagle." The word "eagle" came from the French word "aigle." The Latin name for the bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, comes from a series of Greek words. Haliaeetus comes from the Greek word "halos," meaning "the sea," and "aetos," or "eagle." Together they mean "sea eagle," referring to the bald eagle's fish-eating habits. Leucocephalus is from the Greek word "leukos," meaning "white," and "kephalos," meaning head. Taken altogether, we have Haliaeetus leucocephalus, the white-headed sea eagle. To learn more about the characteristics of the bald eagle, click on any of the photos or links below. Gender differences || Eyesight || Wings, flight & migration Life stages || Why "bald" eagles? || Nesting & breeding Habitat & Threats || Predators & Predation Terms of Use - Copyright 2009 Central Vermont Public Service Copyright photos CVPS, Floyd Scholz U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife Web related issues