Eagles are frequent fliers all year round, easily seen along the coastal Haliaeetus leucocephalus areas of alascanus Burntcoat Head Park. Class: Aves Order: Falconiformes Family: Accipitridae Genus: Haliaeetus

Distribution Southern populations and northern coastal populations are This northern subspecies, largely resident, but inland Canadian and Alaskan birds may H. l. alascanus, occurs in migrate south or to the coast during winter. In Nova Scotia they northern and eastern are both resident and migratory. They breed in this province and Canada, the northern will remain close to their nesting sites in fall and winter as long United States including as they can feed. Alaska. They range further south on the Atlantic coast. Trees selected for perching, roosting, and nesting must have Numbers vary regionally. good visibility, an open structure, and proximity to prey. Wintering habitat includes open coastal or brackish water near Habitat river estuaries where the eagles can still catch fish, and They prefer areas with an waterfowl. Bras d'Or Lake, Shubenacadie River, Minas Basin, abundance of lakes, large and the South Shore region are well known wintering areas. In rivers, sea coasts and winter, bald eagles will also concentrate in agricultural areas such surrounding areas of old- as the eastern Annapolis Valley, where farms provide eagles with growth and mature stands a source of food from dead livestock and poultry. of trees. Bald eagles can frequently be seen soaring or perched over water Food where they swoop down to catch any available fish. Cod, These eagles feed largely on flounder, and eels are common summer food items in Cape fish and carrion. Birds and Breton, while tomcod are an important winter food source in small mammals such as central Nova Scotia. They also scavenge for a large portion of muskrats, squirrels, and their diet, eating stranded, injured, or dead animals. In winter, rabbits are also consumed. they will try to take ducks such as mergansers.

Reproduction The aerie (nest) may take weeks to construct. The dimensions They are monogamous, and are large and increase in size with further seasonal modifications. thought to pair for life. More sticks are added each year. A typical nest may measure 1.0 Courtship and nest building to 1.3 m in diameter and can increase in time to 3 m in diameter or repair occurs in late Aries are lined with leaves and other vegetation. Eggs are usually March. They use the same laid in April. The timing of this varies somewhat regionally. She nesting area year after year. usually lays two eggs (pale blue to white). Both parents incubate A mated pair often builds the eggs but females do more of this than the males. Egg laying more than one nest in their is once per year. A second clutch would only occur if the first nesting territory. did not survive.

Development After five to six weeks, the attendance of parents usually drops Incubation of the eggs lasts off considerably (with the parents often perching in a nearby 35 days. Although females tree). A young eaglet can gain up to 170 g a day. By eight weeks, do most of the incubating they are strong enough to flap their wings, lift their feet off the both parents feed the young nest platform, and rise up in the air. The young fledge at at the nest. At least one anywhere from 8 to 14 weeks of age. They remain close to the adult is at the nest almost nest and to their parents for a further six weeks. Juvenile eagles all of the time for the first first start dispersing about eight weeks after they fledge. For the two to three weeks. next four years, immature eagles wander widely in search of food until they attain adult plumage and are ready to find a mate. Characteristics Adult birds, both male and As they mature young eagles gradually show more white on their female have a distinctive heads and tails each year. The body feathers become a more white head, neck and tail overall, dark brown colour. The beak changes to yellow. with a yellow beak and feet. Adult plumage doesn’t develop fully until the eagle reaches This contrasts with the sexual maturity at four to five years of age. At this point the body feathers which are a head neck and tail are fully white. The eyes, cere, dark brown, nearly black. beak, legs, and feet are yellow, and the claws are Immature eagles have a black. Eagles are almost 1 m long with wing- mixture of brown and white spreads of 2 m to 2.5 m and weight 3 kg to 5.5 kg. all over with a black beak. Measurements vary regionally. Females are slightly larger than males. Adaptations Bald eagles are very Their talons are long and sharp for seizing prey. powerful fliers with broad They are adept fishermen and often sit at some wings with deeply slotted vantage point over water waiting for fish to rise, tips which are ideal for and then swoop to scoop one from the surface. soaring and long distance They have exceptionally acute vision and strike flying. They soar on at fish where they are, rather than where they thermal convection appear to be due to refraction created by water. currents. They can reach They will attack diving birds, especially osprey, speeds of 56 to 70 km per and steal their catches of fish. hour when gliding and They become somewhat migratory when water flapping. When diving freezes over, and will move to areas of open water. speed is between 120 and When migration becomes necessary, routes are 160 km per hour and while selected which provide the advantages of updrafts carrying fish, or other prey and thermals. Diurnal migrations utilize thermals items they can fly at 48 km produced by the sun. per hour. Various regulations are in place to protect bald Status/Threats eagles. Loss of suitable habitat such as nesting Considered an endangered trees and waterside habitats are an ongoing threat. species in the last century They are extremely sensitive to human activity, numbers have rebounded. and are found most commonly in areas free of human disturbance. Bald eagles remain susceptible Sightings in Nova Scotia to illegal shooting, accidental trapping, poisoning These are fairly common and electrocution. The banning of the pesticide around bodies of water, DDT helped greatly in their recovery. especially in Cape Breton.