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Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Photo by JudyCrawford
Published on Project Noah
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45.4898, -123.959

Field Notes

Description:

Dark brown/black bodies with white head and tail, large yellow beak. Length 31" - 37" (79-94 cm), wing span 70" - 90" (178-229 cm)

Habitat:

Most often seen on seacoasts and near rivers & lakes.

Notes:

The Bald Eagles have been a real problem for the nesting seabirds at Cape Meares, Oregon. We used to have 70,000 to 200,000 Common Murres nesting on the rocks we observe as Interpretive Volunteers. Due to disturbances by the eagles, we've not had a single chick raised successfully in over 2 years.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (12)
HeatherMiller
Awesome photo and conversation. I learn tons every time I visit and read these threads.
Sergio Monteiro
Nature will find a new balance. It's been that way long before WE came up...
JudyCrawford
BTW... this shot is dramatic because a female Peregrine Falcon (she had a nest in the cove) was chasing the eagle and kept whamming him on the back.
galewhale..Gale
Judy I like that plan better than when we start juggling things around, we do tend to blunder. It does mean some other species will suffer... always uncertainty. Eagles were reintroduced in Maine, but also PCB levels were greatly reduced, so we did respond to the message eagles were giving when their numbers dropped.
JudyCrawford
I believe "what goes around, comes around". The Bald Eagles are chasing away their food supply, therefore they won't have to food to support the many chicks they hatch, therefore all the chicks won't survive, therefore their population will dwindle a bit, therefore the food supply may come back due to less threat.
LauraMaria
Thanks for the info Judy, that's really interesting. I often wonder if all the ecosystem dynamics are thought through before conservation goes ahead. No doubt the bald eagle needed protection, but protecting the animal without ensuring the rest of its habitat is saved is pointless, and results in things like this where it starts interfering with other species! Also interesting to hear the same thing is happening in other areas. Sounds like a new action plan is needed!
galewhale..Gale
In Maine we are also having problems... tern, great blue heron, cormorant and even gull chicks are a favorite "finger food" for our burgeoning eagle population. Love the contrast between water and eagle!
JudyCrawford
The Bald Eagles have been in the area forever, but due to the conservation efforts, they have become more populous while at the same time the fisheries are diminishing causing the eagles to look elsewhere for food. Being opportunistic feeders, shoulder to shoulder seabirds on the rocks just offshore is pretty easy pickings for them. When they catch one Murre, the rest dive into water, leaving eggs and babies to Seagulls, Crows and other eagles. The Golden Eagles are not a problem.
LauraMaria
Wow, that first picture is really dramatic. It's very interesting to hear how they are nuisance to the seabird colony. Have the bald eagles only recently come to the area, or have the numbers been steadily growing over the years? I'm just wondering if the conservation efforts for the bald eagle have adversely affected the seabirds at this colony now!

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Birds of the World
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2011 Best Wildlife Photo
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PublishedAugust 22, 2011

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