The eagles, Lindy and Amelia, are named after two famous American aviators, Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart.  Lindy, a male, arrived at the Detroit Zoo in 1988 and Amelia, a female, relocated to Detroit in 1995.  Both birds were wild-born but had suffered injuries to their wings that prevented them from being released back into the wild.

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) earned its name from the Old English word “balde”, meaning white, referring to the distinctive white feathers covering its head and tail.  The majestic bird can have a wingspan of 6 to 8 feet and weigh 7 to 15 pounds, making it one of the largest birds in North America. 

Once a common inhabitant of North America, the bald eagle was threatened due to pesticide contamination, habitat destruction and hunting, and was one of the first species listed on the federal Endangered Species Act.  Its numbers have increased in recent years and, as of last year, it is no longer considered threatened.  The bald eagle has recovered in Michigan as well, with the population growing from less than 100 nesting pairs in 1980 to nearly 500 pairs in 2006, including several in Southeast Michigan.      

The Detroit Zoological Society is a non-profit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo.  Situated on 125 acres of naturalistic exhibits, the Detroit Zoo is located at the intersection of Ten Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, just off I-696, in Royal Oak.  The Detroit Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October.  Admission is $11 for adults 13 to 61, $9 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $7 for children ages 2 to 12; children under 2 are free.  For more information, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org.  The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round and provides educational programming with interpretive staff support from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.  For more information, call (313) 852-4056. 
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