Aboriginal Day- Bald Eagle Facts and Eagle Photography

Happy Aboriginal Day... in honor of aboriginal people world wide I will share compelling photographs and intriguing information about the Bald Eagle.

The American Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is part of the fish eagle and sea eagle group of eagles and is the only eagle specific to North America. Bald Eagles are raptors, and these Birds of Prey are at the top of the food chain. Much like polar bears, their only known predators are humans. They are known for their superb eyesight, up to 7 times stronger than that of humans. Eagles have hollow bones, so despite their size they weigh only 10 to 15 lbs. With tremendous strength they can lift up to 5 lbs. Bald Eagles can fly almost 10,000 feet high and can reach speeds of more than 30 mph. They are known for their magnificent wingspan of up to 90 inches wide.

The female is slightly larger than the male and stands more than 35 inches tall. It has been said that the Bald Eagle has 7,000 feathers. Adults have a blackish brown breast and wings, and their tail, head and neck feathers are solid white. Bald Eagles have a bright yellow bill and feet. These feathers are used in the scared ceremonies of many Native Peoples residing in Canada and the United States. In 1782 the United States adopted the eagle as its National Emblem. Eagles mate for life; if one of the pair dies, the other will eventually search for a new partner. Bald Eagles are Canada’s largest raptor. 

Bald Eagles require a large hunting territory which can vary from 1,000 to 2,000 acres. As strong swimmers they can more readily obtain fish. Occasionally they will consume dead fish. The highest population of Bald Eagles reside in Alaska and British Columbia. Bald Eagles in Alaska are believed to be slightly larger than those found elsewhere. Like many other birds, when the Eagle loses a feather on one side, it will also lose a feather on the opposite side to maintain its balance. Their hooked beaks make them adept hunters, as do their large talons (claws). Their feet have small spikes known as spicules.

Bald Eagles inhabit forested areas near large bodies of water. This allows them easy access to fishing. They seek out isolated areas that are removed from humans, their only predator. As natural and forested regions disappear Bald Eagle populations also decline due to loss of habitation. As a carnivore their diet consists mainly of fish. They will consume frogs, snakes, rabbits, squirrels and small birds, when fish is not readily available. Next to fish, their favorite food is rattlesnake. When food is scarce they will scavenge, stealing prey from other animals to prevent starvation.

The ritual mating aerial dance of the Bald Eagle can be fascinating to watch. This dance involves locking talons and spinning through the air. They build large stick nests high up in trees near oceans, lakes and rivers. Females lay 1 to 3 eggs. Due to pesticides like DDT, eggs became thinner and weaker and led to many eggs breaking. Such chemicals also affected their ability to successfully reproduce. These chemicals easy collect in fish, and when the eagle consumes the fish they are negatively impacted. Pesticide bans may have just saved this bird from complete extinction. Juvenile Bald Eagles are brown and yellow and reach sexual maturity at 4 years of age. Bald eagles gain their white head once they have reached maturity. Until then they are often challenging to identify, due to their lack of white head feathers.  Adults moult starting from the head and working their way downwards. It can take up to 6 months for feathers to be replaced by new ones.

Both male and female Bald Eagles share full parenting responsibilities. Eggs are incubated within 35 days. The nesting cycle is approximately 20 weeks. Young eagles are called eaglets. More than half of eaglets do not survive their first year of life.  The largest Bald Eagle nest on record was 9 feet wide. Bald Eagles can live up to 30 years in the wild. Many do not reach their full lifespan due to starvation, electrocution, poisoning, being hit by cars and death by gun shot. Humans are their only predator, and those who do not survive to their natural lifespan usually die due to human interference.


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