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Bald Eagle |
Scientific:
Haliaeetus leucocephalus L. Description:
L 0.6-1.0m (2-3ft), ws 1.8-2.2m (6-7ft) Males:
Head, neck and tail are white; body is brown; large yellow bill. Females: Larger than males with identical plumage. Immature:
Eaglets have light greyish down feathers and leave the nest at 12
weeks. Immature Bald Eagles
have adult plumage by 4-5 years. Eggs: 2 eggs 74 -57 mm, short, oval with coarse granular shell,
dull white. Laid 2-3 days apart, incubation is 35 days by both sexes.
Nest:
2 m in diameter in a large (supercanopy) tree, often white pine. The
pair returns annually, rebuilding the nest to 3.5m wide and weighing
several tonnes. The nest is built with large sticks in high trees, near
water. Habitat:
Lakeshores and rivers, with suitable nest trees. Some may remain in
breeding habitat year round if fishing areas do not freeze and carrion
is available. Life
History: Parents take turns caring for the eaglets. They mate for
life and can live up to 40 yrs. Their main diet is fish. Similar
Species: Immature can be mistaken for Golden Eagle. Osprey and their
nests can be confused. Bald
eagles generally nest in live trees with canopies of live foliage
shading the nest, while osprey nest in dead trees, live trees with dead
tops or on utility poles fully exposed to the sun. Ecological
Role: predator and scavenger. Threats:
The use of long-lived pesticides such as DDT, illegal shooting,
accidental trapping, poisoning and land-clearing. Bald eagles have made
a recovery after the banning of DDT. They are becoming increasingly habituated to people as a
result of protection from persecution.
Nest sites on crown land are protected during forest management
operations. What
you can do: Report active nests to local OMNR. Compiled
by: Pamela Restoule, Dokis First
Nation. |
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