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Eagles

It is against the law to hunt eagles and certain other birds of prey in the United States, but poachers do shoot and wound a number of birds each year.

Wounded eagles found in the wild are nursed back to health at specialized rehabilitation centers. If possible they are returned to the wild, but when the bird has an injury that will permanently inhibit its ability to survive, they must be placed with licensed caretakers such as Grandfather Mountain.

Grandfather Mountain has been home to one Golden Eagle named Morley since November 1984. He was living in the wild in the western United States when he was injured by gunshot and as a result had to have the tip of his left wing amputated. He was rehabilitated at the Eagle Propagation Program in Illinois before coming to live at Grandfather Mountain. Since he is missing a third of his wing, he cannot get lift off of the ground. However, he can still soar if given the chance.

Grandfather has no Bald Eagles at this time.

The Golden Eagle

The Golden Eagle is native to the isolated mountainous regions of North America, Europe, Northern Asia and North Africa. It is larger than most eagles, measuring two and half to three feet with a seven foot wingspan. It nests on rocky ledges on steep mountainsides and its diet consists of small animals such as rabbits and young deer.

Young Goldens have scattered white markings, but adults have dark brown bodies with a golden-brown head and neck. Unlike the Bald Eagle, it has feathers down to the toes. The bill is large and strong with the upper half curving down sharply over the lower. Sharp talons are used to grasp prey.

The Golden Eagle is also known as the War Eagle because native Americans used Golden Eagle feathers in their war bonnets.

 

The Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle nests along fresh or salt waters in North America, with more than two thirds of the U.S. population native to Alaska. In the southern parts of the U.S., such as Florida, it is quite at home in cypress swamps and mangroves.

Bald Eagles feed mainly on fish, but catch few themselves, preferring to rob from other birds or to pick up dead fish on the shore. In Alaska during the autumn, when salmon swim upstream to spawn and die, bald eagles gather in great numbers to feed on exhausted and dying fish.

"Bald" refers not to the white head, but to the piebald (black and white) adult plumage. The adult Bald Eagle is blackish brown and assumes a snow white head and tail when it reaches maturity in its fourth year. The adult measures two and half to three feet long with a wing span of six to eight feet. The female is usually one third larger than the male.

The Bald Eagle can live 47 years in captivity, but usually lives only 25 years in the wild. It has been the national bird of the United States since 1782--symbolizing freedom, power and majesty.

Other Characteristics of Bald and Golden Eagles

The eagle's ability to see detail at a distance is extraordinary. Its vision is binocular, which means it is capable of altering focus from two feet to two miles.

The eagle's skull has a feature called supra-orbital ridges which are bony extensions that overhang the eyes and help protect them from injury when the eagle is catching and handling prey. They also shield the eyes, like sun visors, reducing glare. The eyes are fixed in their sockets, so the eagle has to turn its whole head to look around.

Eagles mate for life and return to the same nest every year. The female lays one to three eggs which hatch in 35 to 40 days. Eggs are usually laid several days apart and the chicks hatch at different times.

The first chick will be fed by the parents for several days before its sibling hatches and will, therefore, have a significant size and weight advantage over the younger chick. In years when the parents are unable to bring sufficient food for both chicks, the older chick bullies the younger and weaker one until it dies of starvation. This behavior ensures that in years when food supplies run short, the older chick, at least, can be raised successfully.

Both parents care for the young, with the eaglets eating more than their own weight each day. They learn to fly after about eight weeks and remain with the adults until they learn to hunt.

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