American Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

You need Eagle wings to get over things

that make no sense in this world.

--Tom Petty

Photos above by BarrytheBirder - taken in southern Ontario

Photos below by Dave Kemp - taken on Vancouver Island, B.C.

Aerial jousting

Challenging a sea lion for a free meal

Bald Eagle is big: L 31-37" (79-94 cm) W 70-90" (178-229 cm).  After the the California Condor, it is the largest raptor in North America.

Bald Eagle adults are quickly identified  by large bald heads and shortish white tails.   Adults are brown above and below; head is white, huge bill, eyes and feet are yellow.   Adult plumage is normally acquired in 4th or 5th year.

My Audubon Handbook of Eastern Birds, says Bald Eagles breed in Alaska and across southern Canada, the Northwest, Great Lakes region, and locally along Pacific and Atlantic coasts.   My Audubon Handbook also notes that Bald Eagles build massive stick nests which they may use for several years.

Bald Eagles hunt for prey, primarily fish, especially in the breeding season.   They sometimes steal fish from Osprey but capture the Osprey-released fish before they hit the ground.

Bald Eagles also eat carrion and injured or crippled waterfowl, squirrels, rabbits, and muskrats.

Bald Eagles are also solitary nesters, monogamous and thought to pair for life.

They are protected by national wildlife refuges and legally with heavy fines.

They have made a big comeback, especially in the U.S., since the 1970s, with widespread restoration programs, and banning of DDT, plus other chemical pollutants.

They have now been moved from 'endangered' status to 'threatened".

My National Geographic Field Guide says "Banning of pesticide use and intense recovery programs have increased populations of Bald Eagles that had been seriously diminished in the East".