The Bald Eagle is a well-known and revered species of bird in the United States. Not only were its iconic features chosen to be proudly displayed on the US emblem, but it has been protected by the the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act since 1940.

This is largely because the bald eagle was once considered to be an endangered species, though it has since been taken off the endangered species list (2007) after numbers naturally rebounded in all 48 states. It remains, however, illegal for one to "take, possess, sell, purchase, barter, offer to sell, purchase or barter, transport, export or import, at any time or any manner, any bald eagle … [or any golden eagle], alive or dead, or any part, nest, or egg thereof" according to federal law.

Beauty and the Beak from Keith Bubach - Trooper Media on Vimeo.