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Bald Eagles

two bald eagles in a winter tree

A pair of Bald Eagles.

Bald Eagles are famous as the national bird of the United States.

When to go:

November, December & January are the best months, but Bald Eagles are year-round residents.

Where to go:

What to look for:

Adult Bald Eagles are very distinctive thanks to their bright white heads and tails. Unfortunately, they don't get the white coloring until they are about five years old. Immature Bald Eagles can look a lot like Golden Eagles, but Golden Eagles are rare west of the Cascades.

Bald Eagles are bigger than any of the hawks that live in the Northwest, so if you see a really big soaring bird, odds are it's a Bald Eagle even if you can't see its white head and tail. The only other bird that gets close in size is the Turkey Vulture, but they soar with their wings in a slight V.

During fall salmon runs, Bald Eagles congregate along rivers to eat the dead and dying fish. You can often see dozens in a single day.

Aside from fish, Bald Eagles love to eat ducks and other small waterfowl, especially coots. They will scavenge, as well.

A Bald Eagle nest is quite a sight - they can weigh up to a ton, and are the size of a VW Bug. There has been one at Duwamish Head (near Salty's on Alki) for the past several years. It's very hard to miss in the winter when the leaves are off the trees.



Sources:
Bald Eagle Interpretive Center, 2012
The Northwest Nature Guide, Timber Press 2009
Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Western North America, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2010
Images by Molly Kent