Bald Eagle
The bald eagle is the emblem of the the USA, and a magnificient majestic bird in appearence. It is a powerful hunter preditor, although it will also feed on carrion, such as dead fish found on the shores and will steal food from Ospreys and other birds. The Bald Eagle has made a comeback in numbers in recent years since the 1970's, up to which time they were declining. They are found in greater numbers around reservoirs and rivers. Some of the reasons for this success was giving them legal protection and the banning of DDT and other pesticides.
Their habitat seems to include large lakes, rivers, coastlines and when in migration may include mountains and open country. Although found normally near water they will also be found in open dry areas and some western dry valleys in the winter. They can also be found in swamps, edges of forests and islands were prey and food is plentiful.
In hunting they will usually find a high perch to locate their prey and then dive down upon them and catch them in their talons. Another hunting technique is flying low over water or land and catching prey by surprise and also have been seen wading in the water were food is in abundance.
The female lays 1-3 white eggs and both parents participate in the incubation of the eggs. For the first 2 weeks, one of the parents will remain constantly with the young. Both parents work together in bringing food to the young which is torn in small pieces in the first 3 weeks or so and feed them directly and later, 3-6 weeks the food is dropped in the nest for them to peck at. If food is scarce only the largest and strongest will survive. Normally at 10-12 weeks they will take their first flight.
The diet of the Bald Eagle can vary quite a bit, but mostly consists of fish when available such as salmon, catfish, carp, herring and others. If fish is not available they will eat birds such as: coots, ducks, auklets or mammals such as: muskrats, rabbits and others. They have also been found to eat crabs, turtles, shellfish and will eat carrion if it is available.
At 4 to 5 years they normally start breeding and some will mate for life. Typically their nest sites are in tall trees, on cliff sides in the west, and have been found to nest on the ground in certain northern islands. Both mates participate in building the nest which consists of a collection of sticks or branches with the center being filled with dead weeds, stubble and other softer materials which are readily available. Were the eggs are laid, the nest cavity is lined with dry moss, feathers and grass. A typical nest is 5 feet in diameter and can increase over the years up to 9 feet with a weight up to 2 tons.
An adult eagle in the wild can live 20-25 years. Reaching adulthood for a Bald Eagle is an accomplishment since 70-80% of eagles die before becoming adults. The term Bald was derived from an older term meaning of "white headed". When sexually mature the adult is mostly brown with a white head and tail with both male and female looking alike, although females are normally about 25 percent larger in size than males.
