Golden Eagle? (juvenile)

Definitely a Bald Eagle immature about 2 1/2yr old. They are mottled like that. Head beginning to get some white in it. Beak getting more yellow, so will the eyes but hard to see in the photos. Can't see the legs but they would be bare if Bald eagle and if a golden eagle would have feathers all the way down to the feet.

I have taken a couple looks at it and the head made me agree

Wha?! Joshua be hold'n out on us! Christy, "Speckles", the Golden in the ICU had mottled coloring...but not as much as this guy. I know there is a lot of variation...Speckles' tail also looks very different to this guy...so I don't know!

Bring it on!! ;-)

Could this POSSIBLY be leucistic?? Doesn't really look it, but...??? Em, that's where I always go wrong...when I second-guess myself!! Liam has straightened me out a couple times!! I looked at pics of juvenile goldens and don't see any with the mottled coloring... I can't wait for the answer! ;-)

I know, I zoomed in too... If you don't get any good answers tonight or tomorrow I'll forward this to a friend that I work with at the Birds of Prey Foundation. He is the best when it comes to identification! ...now I'm second guessing myself...this is a tough one!

Do you have any other pictures Joshua? I think it's a Golden, the beak isn't fat enough for a baldy, in my opinion. Do you have any pics that show the legs? Goldens have "pants" like roughies and ferrugenous hawks, as you know...

I agree with you Joshua...but I seem to get the youngsters wrong. It's got the golden feathers on the head...and the white band on the tail that screams Golden...but the mottled feathering on the body says otherwise. Do us a favor and edit your spotting - check the box that says you need help with identifying the spotting...you can leave all the information, but it puts it into a different spot in the system and people should respond. If you don't get a response in a week or so, make a comment here and I'll see what I can do to get some of our ID experts to help out.