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Bald Eagles

Soaring high above the surface of the water, its white head and tail glistening in the sunlight, the bald eagle paints a magnificent picture in the sky.  The bald eagle, our national symbol, is also an unofficial symbol of Alaska, and especially of Southeast Alaska.  

The bald eagle is Alaska's largest resident bird of prey.  It has a wing span of 6 to 7 1/2 feet and may weigh 10 to 14 pounds.  Mature bald eagles are easily recognized by the white head for which they are named.  Mature bald eagles have a brownish-black body, large yellow beak, unfeathered legs, bright yellow feet, and a white tail.  Bald eagles do not attain their white head and tail until they are 4 to 5 years old.  Immature bald eagles have a dark brown body with irregular white spots on the breast and the undersides of the wings, a brownish beak, and unfeathered legs.

Bald eagles were once found in large numbers throughout North America, but now are found in large numbers only in Alaska, Canada, Florida, and a few isolated locations in the lower 48 states.  Bald eagles are more abundant in Alaska than anywhere else in the United States.

Adult bald eagles are believed to mate for life.  Bald eagles begin nesting in early April.  Their nests are sometimes 7 to 8 feet across and 12 feet deep!  In Southeast Alaska, bald eagles usually nest in large trees along salt water shorelines and mainland rivers.  The female lays 2 eggs which hatch from late May to early June.  The young eagles grow quickly and are fully feathered and leave the nest by August.  Most Alaska bald eagles winter in southern Alaska, but some leave the state during cold months.

A bald eagle's diet consists primarily of fish, though they also eat waterfowl, small mammals, clams, and carrion.  The bald eagle's fish-eating habits historically contributed to its decline in much of the United States.  Pesticides seep out of farmlands and into rivers and streams, then concentrate in fish the eagles eat.  The toxins interfere with the bald eagle's reproduction, or may kill the eagles outright.

Bald eagle populations throughout North America have also been devastated by hunting, human disturbance of nest sites, loss of habitat, and pollution.  The bald eagle was on the verge of extinction in the lower 48 states in the early 1970's when its numbers declined to about 800 adult birds.  However, since that time, the eagle has been recovering steadily and today there are almost 8,000 adult birds in the lower 48. Whether for its majestic beauty or for its important biological role in nature, the beautiful bald eagle deserves our continued respect and protection.

For more information about bald eagles, view the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Wildlife Notebook Series.