This story appears in the January 2015 issue of National Geographic magazine. The eagle is a national symbol, not just for Americans, but for Germans like me and many other people too ...

Bald eagles are powerful symbols of America—but there’s a whole lot more to these quirky birds. This juvenile bald eagle hasn’t acquired his adult feathers yet. / Bruce Bennett/GettyImages ...

The bald eagle has been a major player in American conservation history. Chosen by Congress as the nation's symbol in 1782, it was soon to become a casualty of the country's social and technological ...