All information about the bald eagle

Span

Bald eagles are incredibly large birds, they can have a wingspan from 173 to around 244 cm! The body length of the bird is between 80 cm and one meter. They can weigh around 5 kilograms, about 700 grams of which is their plumage.

Wondering how big the wings of the American bald eagle are in real life? Then stop by the raptor safari!

Where does the American bald eagle live?

As the name suggests, American bald eagles occur in the Americas, North America to be precise. So they are mostly spotted in countries like the United States and Canada, however, they are also sometimes spotted in Central and South America, and sometimes even in parts of Europe. Only thing for sure, they can be found near larger waters. They are always within 3 kilometers of the sea, a lake or a large river. In nature, bald eagles prefer to stay as far away from people as possible, so you won't likely see them in recreational areas such as a busy beach. Bald eagles living in northern areas will migrate south annually when it gets colder in their own habitat.

Float

Because American bald eagles often travel long distances, they often choose to hover. They do this by making slow and powerful movements with their giant wings. This does not cost the animals much energy so they do not have to stop often.

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What does the American bald eagle eat?

The American bald eagle's diet is incredibly broad. They often eat fish, as well as other birds and their eggs, small mammals and occasionally carcasses of larger mammals. When the bald eagles hunt, after picking out the prey, they watch it from the air for a while. When it is time they dive for the prey and pick it up with their claws, eating it only when they have landed. When hunting by the water, they often seek out the fish that swim near the surface of the water, this is often true of rivers. They do this because they do not want to enter the water, they do not dive ín the water but just over the surface.

Family

The bald eagle family is fairly large, with bald eagles found all over the world. The bald eagle (Haliaeetus) is a genus among the hawk-like species (Accipiltridae) which is, of course, part of the bird family. The genus Haliaeetus is probably one of the oldest genera of birds still in existence. There are also a lot of other species of eagles besides the bald eagle such as crested eagles and golden eagles. Most of these genera also fall under the hawk species, however, the osprey has its own family.

The only white-tailed eagle that can be spotted in the wild in the Netherlands is the European white-tailed eagle which, with its wingspan of 250 centimeters, is certainly not a small one either! Below is the family of bald eagles.

• White-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)

• Lesser river eagle (Haliaeetus humillis)

• Large river eagle (Haliaeetus ichthyaetus)

• American bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

• White-bellied sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)

• White-banded sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus)

• Steller's sea eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus)

• Sanford's sea eagle (Haliaeetus sanfordi)

• African bald eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer)

• Madagascar bald eagle (Haliaeetus vociferoides)

Mating dance

Bald eagles are monogamous when it comes to reproduction, meaning that males and females remain a pair throughout their lives. They will look for a new partner only when their previous one has died. Couples do not always live together; for example, they migrate without their partners. During breeding season, they reunite and do a courtship in the air. A courtship dance is a kind of mating dance, they show each other that they want to mate.

Young

Bald eagles are sexually mature from the time they are about 5 years old. Once they have found a mate, they will begin nesting. An Bald eagle nest is made of branches and can get quite large. This is because the bald eagles will return to the same nest every year, and right away they want to strengthen the nest as well. Eggs are laid only after a maximum of 3 months, usually 1-3. Incubation periods can vary greatly by area in North America, with some starting nesting as early as September while others living elsewhere may not start until February. After the chicks hatch, both parents will take care of them, the females however a bit more. In the beginning, the male will mainly provide the food while the female broods more. After 8 to 14 weeks, young bald eagles fly out, but this often does not mean they leave their parents. Young bald eagles often choose to return to the same area where they were raised when they are old enough, in addition, they often choose a site where other young couples are also breeding for breeding.

Discover the Bald eagle and more beautiful birds of prey in Safaripark Beekse Bergen at the birds of prey safari!

Enemies of the white-tailed eagle

As an adult, the bald eagle has no natural enemies. However, chicks or eggs can be prey to other birds of prey or carnivorous mammals such as raccoons. This bird's greatest enemy is humans. Bald eagles can live an average of between 15 and 19 years in the wild; however, this again varies by area. Although the Bald eagle is not endangered according to the IUCN, unfortunately the cause of death of these birds is often related to human factors, for example, they can accidentally fly into power lines or get hit by cars. In captivity, these birds of prey can live up to 30 years.

National symbol

The Bald eagle is a well-known symbol, mainly in the United States. For example, an Bald eagle appears on the Great Seal of the United States. Bald eagles have had an important role in many different cultures, often being central to myths and other stories. For example, bald eagles were thought to have a connection to Zeus, the Greek god. In North America, the Bald Eagle was seen by Native Americans as a thunderbird that provided lightning, rain and thunder. Today in the United States, the Bald eagle is often employed as a mascot and used as a true American character in movies and series.

Conservation

Fortunately, the status of the Bald eagle is safe. But unfortunately, many of the species you see in our park are endangered and struggling in their native habitats. Did you know that worldwide more than 4,000 animal species are threatened with extinction are endangered? Together we can help them, with big, or small steps. Want to know how? Then click here.