Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) - Magnificent Bird of Prey
Did you Know?
The Bald Eagle builds the largest nest of any North American bird. They can build their nests to an astounding size of 2.5 meters wide and 4 meters deep. These nests can be found in the highest trees of the forest canopy usually near water.
They are not actually bald like a Vulture. The name is derived from the traditional meaning of its Latin name where bald, means "white headed". The Latin name literally translates to white headed; leuco meaning white and cephalis meaning head.
The Bald Eagle is well known for its thievery. It is said that Ben Franklin
Photo: Saffron Blaze from Wikipedia.org opposed using the bird on US coinage for this very reason.
Habitat - The Bald Eagle prefers wilderness habitat near large lakes or major rivers with an abundance of fish. They require old-growth or mature forests of hardwood or coniferous trees, for nesting, preferring tall poplars or pines. They typically seek out the tallest tree in an area which gives them the best vantage point of their surroundings.
Size - They range in body length between 70-102 centimeters and have an average wingspan between 1.8 and 2.3m.Females are about 25% larger than males and typically weigh 5.8 kg, while males average a weight of 4.1 kg.
Average Life Span - 20 years (in the wild)
Range - The raptors have a huge range. They are found in all parts of the continental United States, Alaska, Northern Mexico, and throughout Canada in all but the most northern regions.
The Bruce Trail Conservancy | PO Box 857 Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 | 1.800.665.4453 | [email protected]
Diet - Mainly feed on fish, but they also catch birds, small mammals, scavenge for carrion and steal food from other birds.
Status - S Rank: S2N/S4B in Ontario, Secure Nationally (what does this S-rank mean?)
Identification:
The feathers of adult Bald Eagles are evenly brown with a white head and tail. The tail is long and wedge shaped. They have large, hooked beaks that are bright yellow in colour. The feet and eyes of the bird are also a bright yellow. Juveniles are not as easy to identify as they share the dark brown plumage of the adults but they have white streaks spread throughout and they don't develop the characteristic white head until they reach sexual maturity at 5 years of age.
Call: A series of sharply detached notes or chirping whistles - kleek kik ik ik ik.
Photo : Juvenile eagle by KetaDesign from Wikipedia.org
Photo:Yathin S Krishnappa from Wikipedia .org
The Bruce Trail Conservancy | PO Box 857 Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 | 1.800.665.4453 | [email protected]
Species at Risk
Since the early 1900's, widespread pesticide use, hunting and habitat loss caused the Bald Eagle populations to plummet in North America and almost led to their extinction. Since then they have recovered due to protective legislation, conservation efforts and the restricted use of certain pesticides, especially DDT, in Canada and the US. On June 28, 2007 it was altogether delisted from the list of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and was delisted in Canada in 1984. In Ontario they are still listed as Special Concern and protected under Ontario's Endangered Species Act, 2007. Today Bald eagles remain susceptible to illegal hunting, accidental trapping, poisoning and habitat loss through the development of shorelines.
Bald Eagles on the Niagara Escarpment
The rocky shorelines in the northern reaches of the Bruce Trail and all along the Escarpment are ideal areas to spot these large raptors as they use the updrafts created by wind hitting the vertical walls of the cliffs to travel. The birds have been spotted on two BTC properties; one in the Dyers Bay area and another north of Wiarton. The Bruce Trail Conservancy is working to protect habitat for Bald Eagles in Ontario along the Escarpment by securing land to connect natural areas and protect important shoreline habitat for eagles and other sensitive species. If you are lucky enough to see one along the Bruce Trail report your sightings to our staff ecologists and help us monitor these magnificent birds of prey.
The Bruce Trail Conservancy | PO Box 857 Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 | 1.800.665.4453 | [email protected]