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The animal featured on the cover of Writing Apache Modules with Perl and C is a white-tailed eagle. These large sea eagles have a very large range and are therefore highly adaptable. They are mostly found in coastal areas, but can also be found in the tundra and steppes, forests, and mountains. They build huge nests in trees, bushes, cliffs, or on the ground, depending on what their environment offers.

Eagles fall into the category of bird known as "raptors," a category that also includes falcons and hawks. Like other sea eagles, white-tailed eagles have toes adapted to grasping smooth prey such as fish. Their excellent vision enables all eagles to spot prey from the air or a high perch. They frequently hunt in pairs for their favorite meal of diving birds. Keeping a sharp eye on the bird as it dives, the white-tailed eagle grabs it as soon as it resurfaces. Fish is another staple of the white-tailed eagle's diet. In fact, their diet is as adaptable as everything else about these birds. They will frequently eat fish in summer and waterfowl and carrion in winter, when fish are less plentiful.

Eagles often eat their victims while still flying, breaking them apart and discarding the nonedible parts to lighten their load. Eagles, ...

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