Carolina Raptor Center - Raptor Species: Bald Eagle

Description: The bald eagle is the only large brown bird with a white head and tail. It has a massive yellow beak and yellow feet. Immature bald eagles have dark beaks and are dark all over with highly variable white splotching. The birds don't attain sexual maturity and the adult plumage of white head and tail until four to five years old. Sexes are similar in appearance, with females often noticeably larger than males. Northern birds are larger than southern birds.

Flight: Soars on wide, flat, stiff wings that are held horizontally. For their size bald eagles are extremely agile and can turn quite suddenly.

Voice: Bald eagles most commonly scream a gull-like cackle or whine, often with their heads tossed back when perching. The female's voice is lower-pitched.

Habitat: Bald eagles are sea eagles and prefer to live near water, such as lakes, rivers, marshes, and seacoasts.

Distribution: Bald eagles are found over most of the United States, with the largest populations in Alaska. In the east, they still breed in upstate New York, Maine, Michigan, and along the Carolina and Florida coastlines. They are now nesting on inland lakes, a sign of continued recovery. While the bald eagle was once considered endangered, populations have recovered and this species may soon be removed from the Endangered Species Act.

Nesting: Bald eagles prefer old growth trees that extend above the canopy for roosting and nesting, although they will occasionally use cliffs or ground if no trees are available. Eyries are built near the tops of tall, live trees or cliffs. They are made of sticks up to two inches in diameter and lined with moss, grass, pine needles. The same eyries may be used for years. Bald eagles lay 1-3 relatively small white eggs, and both males and females incubate the eggs. On average they start breeding at 7-8 years, but may breed as sub-adults and they don't always breed every year. Bald eagle incubation lasts 34-37 days, and young eagles fly at 10-11 weeks.

Food: Bald eagles are primarily fish eaters. They can catch fish 6-12 inches under the surface, and they often go for dead or floating fish. Bald eagles hunt mostly in the early morning, and sometimes again in late afternoon. They will occasionally hunt cooperatively when hunting mammals. Bald eagles use several methods to catch prey, including swooping from a perch or while in flight and wading from shore into the water and grabbing fish with bill or talons. While much of the bald eagle's diet consists of fish, they will also eat ducks, rabbits, herons, squirrels, opossums and carrion. Almost 90% of the salmon eaten by eagles is carrion, often stolen from other birds such as osprey or immature eagles. Eagles are successful about 10% of the time when chasing mammals, and 70-80% when fishing. An adult bald eagle can consume one pound of fish in less than four minutes! They can lift 1⁄2 of their own weight, and carry 1⁄3 of their own weight.