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Eagle Eyes I painted this eagle portrait with white acrylic, sculpted thick and thin, on acid-free dark brown mat board. After I had the white highlights the way I wanted, then I used transparent watercolor to add color and shadows. Our national bird, the Bald Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, has a brown body with a white head and tail, bright yellow irises, and a hooked beak. Except for yellow feet, juveniles are completely brown. They prefer habitats near seacoasts, rivers, large lakes, and other large bodies of open water with an abundance of fish. Bald eagles are found over most of North America, from Alaska and Canada to northern Mexico. About half of the world's 70,000 bald eagles live in Alaska. They flourish there in part because of the salmon - dead or dying fish are an important food source. Bald eagles were officially declared an endangered species in 1967 south of the 40th parallel. After DDT was banned in 1973, populations steadily rebounded. In 2007, they were removed from the Endangered Species List. The original acrylic/watercolor is in a private collection but limited edition prints and note cards are available. Click here for availability and price.