Various lists of the Wonders of the World have been compiled over the ages to catalogue the most spectacular man-made constructions and natural wonders in the world.
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the first known list of the most remarkable man-made creations of classical antiquity, and was based on guide-books popular among Hellenic sight-seers and only includes works located around the Mediterranean rim.
The number 7 (Seven) was chosen because the Greeks believed it to be the representation of perfection.
In 2001 an initiative was started by the Swiss corporation New 7 Wonders Foundation to choose the New Seven Wonders of the World from a selection of 200 existing monuments for profit.
Twenty-one finalists were announced January 1, 2006.Egypt was not happy with the fact that the only original wonder would have to compete with the likes of the Statue of Liberty, the Sydney Opera House, and other landmarks; and called the project absurd.
To solve this, Giza was named an honorary Candidate.The results were announced on July 7, 2007 in Benfica's stadium in a big ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal,and according to the results the Seven Greatest Wonders of The World are:
DOCUMENTARY FILM What you need to know about doing a Documentary Film.
THE FOUR BASIC DIVISIONS OF STYLE
1) EXPOSITORY DOCUMENTARY Commenting on the Acting of the scene rather than being a part of it -A lot of times Propaganda films (TV NEWS) -Express point of view clearly and leave little room for misinterpretation
2) OBSERVATIONAL DOCUMENTARY MIRROR TO THE WORLD - Way it's going on, is going on -Keeping the camera rolling -Story comes out of the life of the people, not from the actions of individuals -Conveys the rhythms and texture of everyday life
3) REFLECTIVE DOCUMENTARY A relationship between the filmmakers and its subjects -Filmmaker is a part of the film. -Seen through the eyes of the filmmaker. They are usually the main character in their own film
4) IMPRESSIONISTIC DOCUMENTARY NO RULES -Poetic instead of argumentative -Generally categorized under Experimental film
WE ALL LOOK AT OURSELVES AS UNIQUE - SO DO THE SUBJECTS
"The proper route to an understanding of the world is an examination of our errors about it." ERROL MORRIS director (The Thin Blue Line, Dr. Death)
A DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR'S MAIN TASK IS LISTENING TO PEOPLE
Once you get an idea worth spending some time on ASK QUESTIONS 1) Is it practical? 2) Would it be high or low budget? 3) Does it have broad or narrow audience appeal? 4) What approach could we take to the subject? 5) Can we sell the brilliant idea? 6) And if so, how?
CONCEPT - A comprehensive idea that will drive the film in a distinct direction according to a clear plan
AMBIGUITIES - People who see they are being filmed want to know how to act in front of the camera
IN DOCUMENTARY FILM ARE WE THE FILMMAKER TELLING THE STORY OR ARE THOSE OF OUR SUBJECT TELLING IT
In Documentary Film, just like any other film, you need to write a script before you begin filming. You have to have a plan and an overall THEME in what you are trying to say with this film.
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT FUNCTIONS
1) The script is an organizing and structural tool. A reference and a guide that helps everyone involved in the production
2) Communicates the idea of the film to everyone concerned. Helps everyone understand what the film is about and where it is going
3) Essential to both the cameraman and the director. It conveys to the cameraman a great deal about the mood, action and problems of the camera work Also helps the director define the approach and the progress of the film, its inherent logic and continuity
4) Script helps crew answer a series of questions -What is the appropriate budget for the film? -How many locations are needed and how many days shooting? -What lighting will be required? -Will there be any special effects? -Will archive material be needed? -Are special cameras or lenses called for because of a particular scene?
5) Guides the Editor As soon as you have an understanding of the subject, ASK YOURSELF: Who are you going to show it to? How will the project be cinematic? How are you going to structure the film What are you going to do? What do you want to say? How are you going to reach the audience? What is the Target audience? What is your own personal motivation to the subject? Why is there a need for the film? Why NOW?
THEN YOU'RE READY TO RESEARCH THE SUBJECT
As a researcher you must be an observer, analyst, student and note taker
1) PRINT RESEARCH Learning to see and to distinguish the important fact from the obscuring detail -Remember biased and self-serving points of view -There lies, more lies and statistics in a lot of research
2) PHOTOGRAHS AND STOCK FOOTAGE
3) INTERVIEWS -Talk to as many experts in the field as possible -Get the best people -- the most knowledgeable, most open
4) LOCATION RESEARCH -Getting the feel of the actual place -Try to suck up the subject, getting as close as possible
RESEARCH IS LIKE AN ICEBERG -- SEVEN EIGHTHS OF IT IS BELOW THE SURFACE AND CAN'T BE SEEN
Make quick choice and select boundaries
"It's sad that too many documentary filmmakers set out to make a documentary and not a movie." MICHAEL MOORE, director (Bowling for Columbine, Roger and Me)
DIRECTING THE DOCUMENTARY FILM
The job of the director is to find the pieces that will come together in the editing to make a complete film
AS A DIRECTOR YOU HAVE TO BE TOTALLY SURE OF WHERE YOU WANT TO GO AND HOW YOU ARE GOING TO GET THERE
Director has to have the ability to listen - Need to absorb and pay attention. In trying to understand the progress of story, there is no other way but to LISTEN
YOU NEED THE INTELLIGENCE TO SHOOT THE RIGHT THING -If you are uncertain, consult the crew and listen to their opinions
-When something happens that is completely out of your hands (and something WILL happen) you need to make fast decisions in order TO SAVE THE FILM
THE DIRECTOR'S EYE
Please remember VISUALS The sense of what is VISUALLY important
Let the cameraman know your thoughts and feelings
Have a good sense of freedom and composition Seeing the best angle from which the story can be told
HUNTING FOR THE SYMBOLIC SHOT
DIRECTOR AND THE CAMERAMAN
Getting the Cameraman to understand and translate your vision to film as accurately as possible. Then adding their own creative skills to the project
TALK OVER WITH THE CAMERAMAN ON WHAT YOU PLAN TO DO WITH THE FILM
Most build the relationship of openness and trust -- a relationship where each values and respects the other's creativity and judgment
REMEMBER: A shot doesn't stand by itself. It has to be edited into a sequence
DIRECTING THE INTERVIEW
You need to build confidence into the person being interviewed -Make sure you get to know the person being interviewed -You need to know your objectives and what you want to get out of the film session
Make the subject feel that he or she matters You are concerned and involved in what they have to say That you care about their opinions
EMPATHY - The more the interviewer feels this, the better the interview
THREE BASIC SETUP POSSIBILITIES FOR THE INTERVIEW
1) The interviewee looks, or appears to look directly into the camera ADDS A CERTAIN AUTHORITY, POLITICAL STANCE - I'M YOUR FRIEND
2) The camera catches the interviewee obliquely, so that he or she seems to be having a conversation with an unseen person off camera - left or right MORE FORMAL AND FRIENDLY
3) The interviewee is seen on-camera with the interviewer so that we are quite clear who is the second person involved in the conversation WHEN THE HOST IS THE STAR OR WHEN YOU EXPECT A CONFRONTATION
Ask yourself --- How far do you want the viewer to be drawn into the film? People perform most naturally when they are doing some sort of ACTION DON'T BE OVERLY SENTIMENTAL OR EMOTIONAL
EDITING THE DOCUMENTARY FILM
The best EDITING is done with a FRESH EYE The Editor sees only what's on screen. Suggestion is to get someone else to edit your film. They are not as close to the footage as you are
During filming, you should have ORGANIZED what you have shot for the editor
When editing a documentary film, it's just like editing a Narrative film. You have to make a STORY with the basic storytelling functions The proper editing structure - CLIMAXES, PACE and RHYTHM
-Is there a smooth and effective opening? -Is there a logical and emotionally effective development of ideas? -Does the film have a growing sense of drama? -Is it focussed? -Are the climaxes falling in the right place? -Is your ending effective? -Is there a proper sense of conclusion?
CONTINUALLY ASK YOURSELF - Is the material really working where I have placed it?
Pay attention to the RHYTHM within the sequence? Are the shots at the right length? Do they flow and bend well?
NARRATION IN A DOCUMENTARY Pictorial narration rhythm and flow should be the fist consideration and the words should be written to picture, rather than pictures adjusted to words
WRITING THE FINAL NARRATION Can set up factual background of a film providing simple or complex information that does now arise easily or naturally from the casual conversation of the film participants
COMPLIMENT THE MOOD OF THE FILM PROVIDE FOCUS AND EMPHASIS
LETTING THE READER KNOW THE 5 W'S WHO, WHERE, WHEN, WHAT, WHY You draw attention to certain situations and present evidence about them. The Judgement must come from the viewer
The basic RULES OF NARRATION
1) Don't describe what can clearly be seen and understood by most people 2) And then AMPLIFY and explain what the picture doesn't show
CLEAR AND EXPRESSIVE
SIMPLE POWERFUL SENTENSES
DIRECTING ATTENTION - LETTING THE AUDIENCE SEE WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO SEE
Remember that people remember the visuals - not the narration - don't be too wordy
LET THE PICTURES TELL THE STORY
"I never, ever want to apologize for a film. If it's bad I'll say it's my fault. And that's what I can say so far in all the films that I've done, that if you don't like it, it's entirely my fault." KENS BURNS director (The Civil War, Baseball, Jazz)
This documentary is about the life and works of people’s poet Habib Jalib and will reveal variant facets of his poetry from the political upheavals in Ayub’s era to the Benazir’s democratic rule and Musharraf’s ousting. In this documentary, Jalib’s most popular poems will be selected and the personality’s in SOT will provide the audience an insight the personal life of Habib Jalib, the committed figure with the ideology which is obvious in poems, for which he paid heavily. This documentary will explore the events in his life, from being a poet to become a
poet of resistance, from being a politician to become an activist of the left. He spent most of his life in Jail and the rest on the streets. He was always at the forefront of the struggle for democracy. His many poems like Dastoor, Is Sherhr-e-Kharabi Mein, Pakistan ka matlab kiya etc is remembered by a lot of people. He was also popular in elites. This documentary will cover all the aspects of his poetry and major events in his life..
The Bald Eagle is a large bird, with a body length of 71–106 cm (28–42 in), a wingspan of 183–234 cm, (72–96 in), and a mass of 3–7 kg (6.6–15.5 lb); females are about 25 percent larger than males.[2][3] The adult Bald Eagle has a brown body with a white head and tail, and bright yellow irises, taloned feet, and a hooked beak; juveniles are completely brown except for the yellow feet. Males and females are identical in plumage coloration. Its diet consists mainly of fish, but it is an opportunistic feeder. It hunts fish by swooping down and snatching the fish out of the water with its talons. It is sexually mature at four years or five years of age. In the wild, Bald Eagles can live up to thirty years, and often survive longer in captivity.[4] The Bald Eagle builds the largest nest of any North American bird, up to 4 meters (13 ft) deep, 2.5 meters (8 ft) wide, and one tonne (1.1 tons) in weight.[2]
The species was on the brink of extinction in the continental United States (while flourishing in much of Alaska and Canada) late in the 20th century, but now has a stable population and has been officially removed from the U.S. federal government's list of endangered species. The Bald Eagle was officially reclassified from "Endangered" to "Threatened" on July 12, 1995 by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. On July 6, 1999, a proposal was initiated "To Remove the Bald Eagle in the Lower 48 States From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife." It was de-listed on June 28, 2007.
The Bald Eagle remains a protected and highly revered species in the United States, and to willfully and fatally shoot or harm the species is a federal offense which can potentially result in several years of incarceration.
The plumage of an adult Bald Eagle is evenly brown with a white head and tail. The tail is moderately long and slightly wedge-shaped. Males and females are identical in plumage coloration, however females display sexual dimorphism in that they are 25 percent larger than males.[2] The beak, feet, and irises are bright yellow. The legs are feather-free, and the toes are short and powerful with large talons. The highly developed talon of the hind toe is used to pierce the vital areas of prey while it is held immobile by the front toes.[5] The beak is large and hooked, with a yellow cere.[6]
The plumage of the immature is brown, speckled with white until the fifth (rarely fourth, very rarely third) year, when it reaches sexual maturity.[2][5] Immature Bald Eagles are distinguishable from the Golden Eagle in that the former has a more protruding head with a larger bill, straighter edged wings which are held flat (not slightly raised) and with a stiffer wing beat, and feathers which do not completely cover the legs.[7] Also, the immature Bald Eagle has more light feathers in the upper arm area, especially around the very top of the arm.
Juvenile on sand.
Body length ranges from 71–106 centimeters (28–42 in). Adult females have a wingspan of up to 2.44 m (96 in), while adult males may be as small as 1.68 m (69 in).[2] Adult females weigh approximately 5.8 kg (12.8 lb), males weigh 4.1 kg (9 lb).[8] The size of the bird varies by location; the smallest specimens are those from Florida, where an adult male may barely exceed 2.3 kg (5 lb) and a wingspan of 1.8 m (6 ft). The largest are Alaskan birds, where large females may exceed 7.5 kg (16.5 lb) and have a wingspan of over 2.4 m (8 ft).[6]
The call consists of weak chirping whistles, harsher and more shrill from young birds than adults.[7]
The average lifespan of Bald Eagles in the wild is around 20 years, with the oldest living to be about 30. In captivity, they often live somewhat longer. In one instance, a captive individual in New York lived for nearly 50 years. As with size, the average lifespan of an eagle population appears to be influenced by its location.[4]
Subspecies H. l. washingtoniensis in flight, Alaska
This sea eagle gets both its common and scientific names from the distinctive appearance of the adult's head. Bald in the English name is derived from the word piebald, and refers to the white head and tail feathers and their contrast with the darker body[citation needed]. The scientific name is derived from Haliaeetus, New Latin for "sea eagle" (from the Ancient Greekhaliaetos), and leucocephalus, Latinized Ancient Greek for "white head," from λευκος leukos ("white") and κεφαλη kephale ("head").[9][10]
The Bald Eagle was one of the many species originally described by Linnaeus in his 18th century work Systema Naturae, under the name Falco leucocephalus.[11]
H. l. leucocephalus (Linnaeus, 1766) is the nominate subspecies. It is separated from H. l. alascanus at approximately latitude 38° N, or roughly the latitude of San Francisco.[13] It is found in the southern United States and Baja California.[14]
H. l. washingtoniensis (Audubon, 1827), synonym H. l. alascanus Townsend, 1897, the northern subspecies, is larger than southern nominate leucocephalus. It is found in the northern United States, Canada and Alaska.[2][14] This subspecies reaches further south than latitude 38° N on the Atlantic Coast, where they occur in the Cape Hatteras area.[13]
The Bald Eagle forms a species pair with the EurasianWhite-tailed Eagle. This species pair consists of a white-headed and a tan-headed species of roughly equal size; the White-tailed Eagle also has overall somewhat paler brown body plumage. The pair diverged from other Sea Eagles at the beginning of the Early Miocene (c. 10 Ma BP) at the latest, but possibly as early as the Early/Middle Oligocene, 28 Ma BP, if the most ancient fossil record is correctly assigned to this genus.[15] The two species probably diverged in the North Pacific, as the White-tailed Eagle spread westwards into Eurasia and the Bald Eagle spread eastwards into North America.[16]
The Bald Eagle prefers habitats near seacoasts, rivers, large lakes, and other large bodies of open water with an abundance of fish. Studies have shown a preference for bodies of water with a circumference greater than 11 km (7 miles), and lakes with an area greater than 10 km² (3.8 square miles) are optimal for breeding bald eagles.[17]
The Bald Eagle requires old-growth and mature stands of coniferous or hardwood trees for perching, roosting, and nesting. Selected trees must have good visibility, an open structure, and proximity to prey, but the height or species of tree is not as important as an abundance of comparatively large trees surrounding the body of water. Forests used for nesting should have a canopy cover of no more than than 60 percent, and no less than 20 percent, and be in close proximity to water.[17]
The Bald Eagle is extremely sensitive to human activity, and is found most commonly in areas free of human disturbance. It chooses sites more than 1.2 km (0.75 miles) from low-density human disturbance and more than 1.8 km (1.2 miles) from medium- to high-density human disturbance.[17]
The Bald Eagle's natural range covers most of North America, including most of Canada, all of the continental United States, and northern Mexico. It is the only sea eagle endemic to North America. Occupying varied habitats from the bayous of Louisiana to the Sonoran Desert and the eastern deciduous forests of Quebec and New England, northern birds are migratory, while southern birds are resident, remaining on their breeding territory all year. At minimum population, in the 1950s, it was largely restricted to Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, northern and eastern Canada, and Florida.[18]
It has occurred as a vagrant twice in Ireland; a juvenile was shot illegally in Fermanagh on January 11, 1973 (misidentified at first as a White-tailed Eagle), and an exhausted juvenile was captured in Kerry on November 15, 1987.[19] Bald Eagles will also congregate in certain locations in winter. From November until February, one to two thousand birds winter in Squamish, British Columbia, about halfway between Vancouver and Whistler. The birds primarily gather along the Squamish and Cheakamus Rivers, attracted by the salmon spawning in the area.[20]
The Bald Eagle is a powerful flier, and soars on thermal convection currents. It reaches speeds of 56–70 km/h (35–44 miles per hour) when gliding and flapping, and about 48 km/h (30 miles per hour) while carrying fish.[21] Its dive speed is between 120-160 km/h (75-100 miles per hour), though it seldom dives vertically.[22] It is partially migratory, depending on location. If its territory has access to open water, it remains there year-round, but if the body of water freezes during the winter, making it impossible to obtain food, it migrates to the south or to the coast. The Bald Eagle selects migration routes which take advantage of thermals, updrafts, and food resources. During migration, it may ascend in a thermal and then glide down, or may ascend in updrafts created by the wind against a cliff or other terrain. Migration generally takes place during the daytime, when thermals are produced by the sun.[5]
The Bald Eagle's diet is opportunistic and varied, but most feed mainly on fish. In the Pacific Northwest, spawning trout and salmon provide most of the Bald Eagles' diet.[23] Locally, eagles may rely largely on carrion, especially in winter, and they will scavenge carcasses up to the size of whales, though it seems that carcasses of ungulates and large fish are preferred. They also may sometimes feed on subsistence scavenged or stolen from campsites and picnics, as well as garbage dumps. Mammalian prey includes rabbits, hares, raccoons, muskrats, beavers, sea otters, and deerfawns. Preferred avian prey includes grebes, alcids, ducks, gulls, coots, egrets and geese. Most live prey are quite a bit smaller than the eagle, but predatory attacks on large birds such as the Great Blue Heron and even swans have been recorded. Reptiles, amphibians and crustaceans (especially crabs) are preyed on when available.
With a freshly caught fish
To hunt fish, easily their most important live prey, the eagle swoops down over the water and snatches the fish out of the water with its talons. They eat by holding the fish in one claw and tearing the flesh with the other. Eagles have structures on their toes called spiricules that allow them to grasp fish. Osprey also have this adaptation.[21] Bald Eagles have powerful talons and have been recorded flying with a 15-pound Mule Deer fawn.[24]
Sometimes, if the fish is too heavy to lift, the eagle will be dragged into the water. It may swim to safety, but some eagles drown or succumb to hypothermia. When competing for food, eagles will usually dominate other fish-eaters and scavengers, aggressively displacing mammals such as coyotes and foxes, and birds such as corvids, gulls, vultures and other raptors. Bald Eagles may be displaced by or themselves displace Golden Eagles, with neither species known to be dominant. Occasionally, Bald Eagles will steal fish away from smaller raptors, such as Ospreys, a practice known as kleptoparasitism.[25] Healthy adult Bald Eagles are not preyed on in the wild and are thus considered apex predators.[26]
Bald Eagles are sexually mature at four or five years of age. When they are old enough to breed, they often return to the area where they were born. It is thought that Bald Eagles mate for life. However, if one member of a pair dies or disappears, the other will choose a new mate. A pair which has repeatedly failed in breeding attempts may split and look for new mates.[27] Bald Eagle courtship involves elaborate calls and flight displays. The flight includes swoops, chases, and cartwheels, in which they fly high, lock talons, and free fall, separating just before hitting the ground.[28]
The nest is the largest of any bird in North America; it is used repeatedly over many years and with new material added each year may eventually be as large as 4 meters (13 ft) deep, 2.5 meters (8 ft) across and weigh one tonne (1.1 tons);[2] one nest in Florida was found to be 6.1 meters deep (20 ft), 2.9 meters (9.5 ft) across, and to weigh 2.722 tonnes (3 tons).[29] The nest is built out of branches, usually in large trees near water. When breeding where there are no trees, the Bald Eagle will nest on the ground. Eagles produce between one and three eggs per year, but it is rare for all three chicks to successfully fly. Both the male and female take turns incubating the eggs. The other parent will hunt for food or look for nesting material. The eggs average about 7.3 centimeters (2.9 in) long and have a breadth of 5.5 centimeters (2.2 in).[21]
Newly fledged juvenile
The incubation period averages at about 35 days and the parents will brood their offspring until they are about four weeks of age. The fledging stage can occur at any time from 70 to 92 days, the wide variation dictated by the effects of sex and hatching order on growth and development. Egg and nestling predation may be committed by Black-billed Magpies, gulls, ravens and crows, black bears and raccoons. With no known predators themselves, adults will fiercely defend their offspring from these species.
Once a common sight in much of the continent, the Bald Eagle was severely affected in the mid-20th century by a variety of factors, among them thinning of egg shells, attributed to the use of the pesticide DDT.[30] Bald Eagles, like many birds of prey, were especially affected by DDT due to biomagnification. DDT itself was not lethal to the adult bird, but it interfered with the bird's calcium metabolism, making the bird either sterile or unable to lay healthy eggs. Female eagles laid eggs that were too brittle to withstand the weight of a brooding adult, making it nearly impossible to produce young.[18] It is estimated that in the early 1700s, the bald eagle population was 300,000–500,000,[31] but by the 1950s there were only 412 nesting pairs in the 48 contiguous states of the US. Other factors in Bald Eagle population reductions were a widespread loss of suitable habitat, and illegal shooting, which was described as "the leading cause of direct mortality in both adult and immature bald eagles," according to a 1978 report in the Endangered Species Technical Bulletin. In 1984, the National Wildlife Federation listed hunting, power line electrocution, and collisions in flight as the leading causes of eagle deaths. Bald Eagle populations have also been negatively affected by oil, lead, and mercury pollution, and by human and predator intrusion.[32]
First-year
The species was first protected in the U.S. and Canada by the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty, later extended to all of North America. The 1940 Bald Eagle Protection Act in the U.S., which protected the Bald Eagle and the Golden Eagle, prohibited commercial trapping and killing of the birds. The Bald Eagle was declared an endangered species in the U.S. in 1967, and amendments to the 1940 act between 1962 and 1972 further restricted commercial uses and increased penalties for violators. Also in 1972, DDT was banned in the United States.[33] DDT was completely banned in Canada in 1989, though its use had been highly restricted since the late 1970s.[34]
With regulations in place and DDT banned, the eagle population rebounded. The Bald Eagle can be found in growing concentrations throughout the United States and Canada, particularly near large bodies of water. In the early 1980s, the estimated total population was 100,000 birds, with 110,000–115,000 by 1992;[2] the U.S. state with the largest resident population is Alaska, with about 40,000–50,000 birds, with the next highest population being the Canadian province of British Columbia with 20,000–30,000 birds in 1992.[2]
It was officially removed from the U.S. federal government's list of endangered species on July 12, 1995 by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, when it was reclassified from "Endangered" to "Threatened." On July 6, 1999, a proposal was initiated "To Remove the Bald Eagle in the Lower 48 States From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife." It was de-listed on June 28, 2007.[35] It has also been assigned a risk level of Least Concern category on the IUCN Red List.[36]
Permits are required to keep Bald Eagles in captivity in the United States. Permits are primarily issued to public educational institutions, and the eagles which they show are permanently injured individuals which cannot be released to the wild. The facilities where eagles are kept must be equipped with adequate caging and facilities, as well as workers experienced in the handling and care of eagles. Bald Eagles cannot legally be kept for falconry in the United States. As a rule, the Bald Eagle is a poor choice for public shows, being timid, prone to becoming highly stressed, and unpredictable in nature. Native American Tribes can obtain a "Native American Religious Use" permit to keep non-releasable eagles as well. They use their naturally molted feathers for religious and cultural ceremonies. The Bald Eagle can be long-lived in captivity if well cared for, but does not breed well even under the best conditions.[37] In Canada, a license is required to keep Bald Eagles for falconry.[38]
The Bald Eagle is the national bird of the United States of America. It is one of the country's most recognizable symbols, and appears on most of its official seals, including the Seal of the President of the United States.
After the end of the Revolutionary War, Benjamin Franklin wrote a famous letter from Paris in 1784, to his daughter, criticizing the choice and suggesting the Wild Turkey as a better representative of American qualities. He described the Bald Eagle as "a Bird of bad moral character," who, "too lazy to fish for himself" survived by robbing the Osprey. He called the Bald Eagle "a rank Coward" easily driven from a perch by the much smaller kingbird. In the letter, Franklin wrote the Turkey is, "a much more respectable Bird," which he described as "a little vain & silly [but] a Bird of Courage."[39]
The Bald Eagle remained the emblem of the United States. It can be found on both national seals and on the back of several coins (including the quarter dollar coin until 1999), with its head oriented towards the olive branch. Between 1916 and 1945, the Presidential Flag showed an eagle facing to its left (the viewer's right), which gave rise to the urban legend that the seal is changed to have the eagle face towards the olive branch in peace, and towards the arrows in wartime.[40]
The Bald Eagle is a sacred bird in some North American cultures, and its feathers, like those of the Golden Eagle, are central to many religious and spiritual customs among Native Americans. Eagles are considered spiritual messengers between gods and humans by some cultures.[41] Many pow wow dancers use the eagle claw as part of their regalia as well. Eagle feathers are often used in traditional ceremonies, particularly in the construction of regalia worn and as a part of fans, bustles and head dresses. The Lakota, for instance, give an eagle feather as a symbol of honor to person who achieves a task. In modern times, it may be given on an event such as a graduation from college.[42] The Pawnee considered eagles as symbols of fertility because their nests are built high off the ground and because they fiercely protect their young. The Kwakwaka'wakw scattered eagle down to welcome important guests.[43] The Choctaw explained that the Bald Eagle, who has direct contact with the upper world of the sun, is a symbol of peace.[44]
During the Sun Dance, which is practiced by many Plains Indian tribes, the eagle is represented in several ways. The eagle nest is represented by the fork of the lodge where the dance is held. A whistle made from the wing bone of an eagle is used during the course of the dance. Also during the dance, a medicine man may direct his fan, which is made of eagle feathers, to people who seek to be healed. The medicine man touches the fan to the center pole and then to the patient, in order to transmit power from the pole to the patient. The fan is then held up toward the sky, so that the eagle may carry the prayers for the sick to the Creator.[45]
Current eagle feather law stipulates that only individuals of certifiable Native American ancestry enrolled in a federally recognized tribe are legally authorized to obtain Bald or Golden Eagle feathers for religious or spiritual use. The constitutionality of these laws has been questioned by Native American groups on the basis that it violates the First Amendment by affecting ability to practice their religion freely.[46] Additionally, only members of federally recognized tribes are legally allowed to possess eagle feathers, preventing non-federally recognized tribe members from practicing religion freely. The laws have also been criticized on grounds of racial preferences and infringements on tribal sovereignty.[47]
^(Latin)Linnaeus, Carolus (1766). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio duodecima, reformata.. Holmiae. (Laurentii Salvii)..
^ ab Bull J, Farrand, J Jr (1987). Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds:Eastern Region. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 468–9. ISBN 0-394-41405-5.
^ O'Brien, Greg (2005). "Power Derived from the Outside World". Choctaws in a Revolutionary Age, 1750-1830. University of Nebraska Press. p. 58. ISBN 0803286228.
Beans, Bruce E. (1996). Eagle's Plume: The Struggle to Preserve the Life and Haunts of America's Bald Eagle. New York, NY: Scribner. ISBN 0684806967. OCLC35029744.
Gerrard, Jonathan M.; Bortolotti, Gary R. (1988). The Bald Eagle: Haunts and Habits of a Wilderness Monarch. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press. ISBN 0874744512. OCLC16801779.
Isaacson, Philip M. (1975). The American Eagle (1st ed.). Boston, MA: New York Graphic Society. ISBN 0821206125. OCLC1366058.
Knight, Richard L.; Gutzwiller, Kevin J. (1995). Wildlife and Recreationists: Coexistence through Management and Research. Washington, DC: Island Press. ISBN 1559632577. OCLC30893485.
Petersen, Shannon (2002). Acting for Endangered Species: The Statutory Ark. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 070061172X. OCLC48477567.
Spencer, Donald A. (1976). Wintering of the Migrant Bald Eagle in the Lower 48 States. Washington, DC: National Agricultural Chemicals Association. OCLC2985418.
Temple, Stanley A. (1978). Endangered Birds: Management Techniques for Preserving Threatened Species. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 0299075206. OCLC3750666.
Grant, Peter J. (1988) The Co. Kerry Bald Eagle Twitching 1(12): 379-80 - describes plumage differences between Bald Eagle and White-tailed Eagle in juveniles
