Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus hydrocephalus

There are two sub species of the Bald Eagle, the Southern or American Bald Eagle, and the Northern Bald Eagle. The Southern Bald Eagle is found primarily south of the 40th parallel and is slightly smaller than the Northern species. However, the ranges of the two species overlap with non resident Southern Bald Eagles found as far north as Alaska. The Northern Bald Eagle is the resident species found on Vancouver Island.

The mature Bald Eagle is distinguished by its white head and tail. These features appear when the bird is four to six years old. The young bird is brown with white speckles and is similar in appearance to the Golden Eagle. The mature male and female birds have the same plummage, with the female being the larger of the two.

Biology

On Vancouver Island, Bald Eagles build their nests at the top of large conifers selecting trees with open access, good visiblity and close to water. The nest can weight several hundred kilograms and are used over many seasons.

Except in cases where a breeding pair cannot produce offspring, eagles mate for life. One to three eggs are ususl with both the male and female incubating the eggs.