Over the past week or so I have been photographing quite a few wintering Bald Eagles of various ages, from one year old to adults, and I decided to write about the different growth stages seen in their plumage. Bald Eagles take about 5.5 years to mature to the typical white head and tail and solidly dark chocolate brown body, legs and wing feathers of an adult.
The bald eagle above is one year old and is a dark brown over all, the chest and back are a bit lighter. The eyes are a dark brown and the bill is dark with some yellow. A one year old eagle will show some white on the underside of the wings in the axillaries and coverts.
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A two year old bald eagle has some white mottling on the chest, there is more yellow developing on the bill and the underside of the wings show extensive white feathers. The top of the head is a more golden brown than a one year old eagle exhibits and the eyes are a lighter shade of brown.
The four year old bald eagle above looks more like an adult, the head is nearly white with some paler brown feathers intermingling with the white. The eyes are much paler than they are when they are just yearlings. By now the bill is a solid yellow and does not show the dark tip at all of the younger stages. The tails show more white above and below. The body and wing feathers are nearly all dark including the under side of the wings.
Adult bald eagles have solid white tails plus the head and neck are also white. The eyes are very pale, almost white and the bill is a solid yellow and a bit brighter than a four year old bald eagle. The plumage of the chest, back and wings are now varying shades of dark brown.
So, there you have it, a simple guide to aging Bald Eagles by their plumage development, legs and their bills with images showing the age progression. More precise aging can certainly be done by molt of the primaries and remiges but this is intended to be a simple guide.
Tammy, I am not answering for Mia, but I took a second look at what you were asking about. Looks to me that in the one yr photo, the left talon has mud dried and caked on it, the right [which one cannot see in full] looks cleaner and shows the more normal coloring [with what one can see in this particular photo.] Hope that helps ?
Amazing to be able to see what the eagles look like at each age from 1 to 5 years! Very helpful and informative to actually see each age progression! Thank you so much for sharing, providing and explaining each photo at each year of age. Jan Ferguson
i believe i saw a snow white bald eagle. it was with several other regular colored eagles eating carion on my country road. it landed in a tree by the road with two other bald eagles and i passed within 40 feet of it. do they have albino eagles.
Hershell, Googling albino Bald Eagle did bring up some images of leucistic eagles so it is possible. You might want to contact someone from a local bird watching group and see if anyone else has reported it. It would be an awesome bird to see.
Mia,Thanks as always for the awesome photos they should be used as great teaching ones as well! I am blessed to live on a river in Mn and see this in my backyard but no matter how many times I see it I never tire of it. Just beautiful!
Another great series. The age progression is fascinating. You are fortunate to live in such a bird-rich area. I also like to photograph the various plumages throughout the life cycle. Do you find it easier to get closer to the juveniles?
After spending time looking for birds on the auto tour route at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge yesterday morning I finally took a few Golden Eagle photos that I am very happy with on the drive back to the interstate.
When I found and pointed out the Golden Eagle it was perched in a tree that was close to the road, so close that I took off my 1.4x teleconverter because I knew that with it attached all I would get is clipped wings and/or feet of the bird if it lifted off.
When I looked back and saw the man get out of his vehicle to take photos I was 99.9% certain that his presence outside of his car would cause the eagle to lift off and fly away. I saw the eagle become anxious and hoped that the eagle would fly to the east if it did because the light would be better on the bird if it flew in that direction.
This is the next frame in the series and because the Golden Eagle had spread its wings I did clip the wing tips. But I still like the photo because of the intense look I appeared to be getting from the bird.
I could grumble about the man getting out of his vehicle but he may not have known his actions were going to disturb the Golden Eagle enough to cause it to take flight. Not everyone who ventures into the field or nature does.
What a stunning series of pics! The third image, especially, should be hanging in the Smithsonian. How that shot captures the grace and power and intensity of the eagle is simply incredible. Thanks Mia.
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The beak is typically heavier than that of most other birds of prey. Eagles' eyes are extremely powerful. It is estimated that the wedge-tailed eagle has a visual acuity twice that of a typical human.[2][3][4] This acuity enables eagles to spot potential prey from a very long distance. This keen eyesight is primarily attributed to their extremely large pupils which ensure minimal diffraction (scattering) of the incoming light. Like most diurnal raptors, eagles have little ability to see ultraviolet light.[5] The female of all known species of eagles is larger than the male.[6][7]
Eagles normally build their nests, called eyries, in tall trees or on high cliffs. Many species lay two eggs, but the older, larger chick frequently kills its younger sibling once it has hatched. The parents take no action to stop the killing.[8][9]It is said that eagles fly above clouds but this is not true. Eagles fly during storms and glide from the wind's pressure. This saves the bird's energy. Due to the size and power of many eagle species, they are ranked at the top of the food chain as apex predators in the avian world. The type of prey varies by genus. The Haliaeetus and Icthyophaga eagles prefer to capture fish, though the species in the former often capture various animals, especially other water birds, and are powerful kleptoparasites of other birds. The snake and serpent eagles of the genera Circaetus, Terathopius, and Spilornis predominantly prey on the great diversity of snakes found in the tropics of Africa and Asia. The eagles of the genus Aquila are often the top birds of prey in open habitats, taking almost any medium-sized vertebrate they can catch. Where Aquila eagles are absent, other eagles, such as the buteonine black-chested buzzard-eagle of South America, may assume the position of top raptorial predator in open areas. Many other eagles, including the species-rich genus Spizaetus, live predominantly in woodlands and forests. These eagles often target various arboreal or ground-dwelling mammals and birds, which are often unsuspectingly ambushed in such dense, knotty environments. Hunting techniques differ among the species and genera, with some individual eagles having engaged in quite varied techniques based on their environment and prey at any given time. Most eagles grab prey without landing and take flight with it, so the prey can be carried to a perch and torn apart.[10]
Among the eagles are some of the largest birds of prey: only the condors and some of the Old World vultures are markedly larger. It is regularly debated which should be considered the largest species of eagle. They could be measured variously in total length, body mass, or wingspan. Different lifestyle needs among various eagles result in variable measurements from species to species. For example, many forest-dwelling eagles, including the very large harpy eagle, have relatively short wingspans, a feature necessary for being able to maneuver in quick, short bursts through densely forested habitats.[10] Eagles in the genus Aquila, found almost exclusively in open country, are noted for their ability to soar, and have relatively long wings for their size.[10]
These lists of the top five eagles are based on weight, length, and wingspan, respectively. Unless otherwise noted by reference, the figures listed are the median reported for each measurement in the guide Raptors of the World[15] in which only measurements that could be personally verified by the authors were listed.[10]
The eagles are generally distributed in all types of habitats and nearly all parts of the world. The birds can be found in northern tundra to tropical rainforests and deserts. In North America, bald eagles and golden eagles are very common.
The snake eagles are placed in the subfamily Circaetinae. The fish eagles, booted eagles, and harpy eagles have traditionally been placed in the subfamily Buteoninae together with the buzzard-hawks (buteonine hawks) and harriers. Some authors may treat these groups as tribes of the Buteoninae; Lerner & Mindell[23] proposed separating the eagle groups into their own subfamilies of Accipitridae.
Although fish eagles can be found in many different places around the world, they have been classified as "Near Threatened". Reasons such as overfishing, pollution, habitat destruction, and the use of pesticides have contributed to the species' rapid population drop.[26]
The booted eagle is a group of eagle that typically migrates across the Sahara Desert to Europe. It usually reaches Europe around the beginning of March and leaves by the end of September. It's interesting to note that these types of eagles usually mate with the same partner and return to the same areas years later. Female booted eagles usually lay 1-4 eggs, which promptly hatch after 37 to 40 days. Researchers estimate that there are between 3600 to 6900 pairs of booted eagles in Europe, which are mostly situated in the Iberian Peninsula.[27] 152ee80cbc
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