BALD EAGLE
Haliaeetus leucocephalus

IDENTIFICATION: The bald eagle is the largest bird of prey, or raptor, found in Florida. They are quite easy to identify with their white heads and tails, dark brown bodies, and bright yellow legs and beaks.  They have an impressive wingspan of 6-7 1/2 feet.  Typically, the eagles found in the southern United States are smaller than their northern relatives.

RANGE AND HABITAT: The numbers are small, but they can be found through much of the United States.  Florida has the second highest number of bald eagles in the United States (Alaska has more).  They are almost always found near water.

REPRODUCTION: In Florida the bald eagle breading season lasts from November to January.  Their nests are huge!  They often reach 7-8 feet across and 12 feet deep. Bald eagles nest for life and will often add new material to the same nest site year after year.  They lay 2-3 eggs and incubate them for a little over a month.  About 2 1/2 months later the young begin leaving the nest to learn how to fly.  By that time, the young are as big as the adults but will not get their white heads and tails for 4-5 years.

DIET: The main portion of their diet is fish.  Although they are excellent fishers, they often steal food from ospreys.  They also eat a wide variety of other mammals and birds.  Occasionally, they will eat carrion, and can be seen eating animals that were hit by cars.

FUTURE: Bald eagle numbers are increasing.  In 1999, they were down-listed from the Federal Endangered Species List to a threatened species.  They have been listed as a threatened species in the state of Florida for quite some time, and are still doing well.  However, habitat loss is becoming an increasing concern for these birds.

Adoptees

FEMALE BALD EAGLE

          Our female bald eagle was found in December of 1989.  She was found in the woods with a wing injury and could not fly.  She was brought to a wildlife rehabilitation center where part of her left wing was amputated.  She was moved to our Audubon Aviary in January of 1990.  We know that she is a female bird because she aborted two eggs when first brought into captivity.  Normally it is very difficult to tell whether an eagle is male or female because they have similar coloring.  Typically, females are larger and heavier than the males.

          Her diet consists mainly of rats and fish.  She is fed six days a week.  The birds are not fed every day because they do not eat every day in the wild, so it is a more natural diet for them.  She prefers ladyfish and catfish.  When she is especially hungry she will wait by the door of her cage and take the food right out of the naturalist's hand, which can be a bit frightening when you look at the size of her talons and beak!

          She spends much of her day standing on one of the perches in her cage.  She likes to make a lot of noise when people come near her cage, especially people that she knows.  We tried to put a male bald eagle in with her once, but they did not get along and had to be separated.  When anyone goes in to clean her cage she stands in one corner and does not let anyone get too close.

          You may visit your female bald eagle during regular Museum hours.    

MALE BALD EAGLE

          The male bald eagle that you have adopted was brought to the Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium in 1987.  He had been hit by a car, and had to have a partial wing amputation.  Over the next few years, he had 2 more operations that removed the rest of the wing.  The bald eagle does not molt into its adult white head and tail feathers until 5 years after it hatches.  We know that he was around 2 years of age when he came to us.  He is the only bird in our aviary that we know the age of! 

          His diet consists of rats and fish.  He would appreciate donations of fresh caught catfish, ladyfish, snapper and large bluegill.  He really loves freshly caught fish and will usually begin eating them before the person feeding them gets a chance to leave the cage!  All of the food must be dead before he gets it since he only has one wing and would be unable to catch live prey.

          The bald eagle moves around quite a bit in his cage throughout the day.  He has several perches that he uses, and he spends a lot of time on the ground, which is unusual compared to most of our birds.  He is very vocal when we enter his enclosure, but tolerates us quite well. 

          He is probably the most popular bird in the aviary, and is able to educate people by being on display.  Each year as he molts, his feathers are collected by staff and given to Native Americans to use.

          You may visit your adopted male bald eagle during regular Museum hours.

Anne Grace

Adopt an Animal Program