Bald Eagle Pictures &  Information, Webcam

Click on thumbnails below for larger Bald Eagle pictures. Please note our terms of use for using any of the photos from our website. The below photos are an example of an adult bald eagle, at least four years old because of the white "bald" head as well as body plumage. The second photo is of a juvenile bald eagle in its first year plumage, lacking any white feathers in the head and is more brown in color. If it is breeding season, ~January through May in Maryland, you will likely see either adult bald eagles or juveniles in the nest from the live webcam below.

Bald Eagle
(Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

Bald Eagle Adult Bald Eagle Juvenile

Bald Eagle Adult

(At least 4th year)

 Bald Eagle Juvenile (1st year plumage)

We plan to add more Bald Eagle Pictures in the future.

2010 Live Bald Eagle Webcam

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Above is a live video feed of the Bald Eagle nest at the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Cambridge, Maryland. Over the last four seasons, they've seen a total of eleven eaglets hatch and fledge.

Both eaglets, Avis and Aquila, successfully fledged this year at the end of May, 2010. We look forward to hopefully seeing another successful breeding season next year by this awesome adult pair.

 

Here are some great books and other items about the Bald Eagle which have some great photos included. Click or hover on the item to see more information.

The Bald Eagle is the National Emblem of the U.S and breeds only in North America.

Bald Eagle Pictures The American Bald Eagle Pictures is a fantastic book with stunning Bald Eagle photos by wildlife photographer, John Pezzenti Jr.

Bald Eagle Subspecies

There are two recognized subspecies of Bald Eagles. The Northern (Canada/Alaska) subspecies (Haliaeetus leucocephalus alascensis) and the Southern subspecies (Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus) that breeds in the lower 48 states. The separation of the two subspecies by whether or not they bread North of South of the Canada/US border is arbitrary.

A.C. Bent (1937) stated that the Southern Bald Eagle probably did not extend North of South Carolina in the East, the Gulf States and Southern California. The justification of two subspecies is partially based on size differences between Northern and Southern individuals.

(True to Bergman's rule, the largest individuals are found in the North and the smallest are in the South).

Bald Eagle Size

Bald Eagles are reverse size dimorphic, meaning that the females are larger than the males.

According to Photographic Guide to North American Raptors, Wheeler & Clark 1995), The range in Length, Wingspan and Weight as follows: (No sex or sub-specific differences are shown).

Length: 27-35 inches (70-90 cm)

Wingspan: 71-89 inches (180-225 cm)

Weight: 4.4-13.6 lbs (2.0-6.2 kg)

Distribution & Habitat

Bald Eagles are now fairly common breeders around coastlines or large bodies of water in Florida, Chesapeake Bay, Coastal Maine, Maritime Provinces of Canada, undeveloped areas of the Great Lakes, Yellowstone, Alberta, Ontario, and the Pacific North-West from Northern California to Alaska.

Bald Eagles can be found throughout North America during Winter around open water.

Bald Eagle Historical Distribution

Bald Eagles historically nested in Alaska and in all of the lower 48 states. (All states except Hawaii).

In 1963 only 417 nesting pairs were known in the lower 48 states and in 1967, the Bald Eagle was protected by the Endangered Species Act. The Bald Eagle was listed as Endangered in areas South of the 40th parallel.

Bald Eagles have never been Endangered or Threatened in Alaska.

Bald Eagles were listed as Threatened in Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, or Wisconsin, but were never listed as Endangered in those states.

Since 1963, the numbers of nesting Bald Eagles has increased dramatically and in 1995, the status was changed from Endangered to Threatened by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).

Bald Eagle Current Status

In 1999, the USFWS proposed that the Bald Eagle be removed from the Federal List of Threatened and Endangered Species. As of Feb 2007, the USFWS is still accepting comments on the proposal.

It was estimated (by USFWS) there were 7,066 nesting pairs of Bald Eagles in lower 48 states in 2006. This estimate is up from 6,471 nesting pairs in 2000.

Bald Eagle Migration

Southern Bald Eagles in Florida and the Southern States, can remain near their breeding territories year round, though some birds move Northward during the Summer after the breeding season.

The Northern Bald Eagles and their Southern cousins from the Northern States, migrate South in search of open water. They can remain in Northern areas where there is open water and an adequate food supply.

Immature birds begin to migrate earlier than adults and also travel farther South.

Bald Eagles can be seen at many Raptor Migration sites: Go to Raptor Migration Page

Bald Eagle Longevity Record

30 Years and 9 months; based upon known age of a wild Bald Eagle at banding and subsequent band recovery (Data from Bird Banding Lab (Klimkiewicz 2008).

References:
Bent, A.C. 1937. Life Histories of North American Birds of Prey, Order Falconiformes. Part 1. Smithsonian Institution United States National Museum Bulletin 167: 321-333

Klimkiewicz, M. K. 2008. Longevity Records of North American Birds. Version 2008.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Bird Banding Laboratory. Laurel MD.

Technical Note. Bureau of Land Management - Dept. of Interior. Habitat Management Series for Endangered Species. Carol Snow. Report No. 5. Southern Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus and Northern Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus alascanus.

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We will be adding more Bald Eagle Pictures, information and references in the future.

 

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