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I have long had an absolute fascination with the majestic Eagle. For years I have used the Eagle symbol as my "logo" in my Fishing Guide Service. However it wasn't until recently that I was given the opportunity for the incredible experience of seeing these wonderful birds in real life. I joined a tour at the Pere Marquette State Park near Grafton, Illinois to see the Eagles during their annual migration to the area in the winter months of November thru January. I purchased the book "Just Eagles" from the visitors stand. As you are about to see the photography in this book is phenomenal. Wanting to share this wonderful book with you I asked for permission to reproduce parts of it and give you the opportunity to buy it for yourself. Hope you enjoy it as much as I have. Capt. Phyllis Ingram |
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The Bald Eagle holds a special place of reverence in our hearts and minds, not only as our national bird, but as a species whose near-extinction in the lower 48 states signaled a turning point in our view of the environment. The year 2000 marks the successful recovery of this great bird's nesting population. Just Eagles recounts the story of the eagle's decline and the efforts made to restore it to health, and describes the factors that are critical to the bald eagle's continued success. |
| Above all else, eagles
are born to fly and as soon as the chicks first sense the wind across
their nest they gain an urge to try. The days in the nest are a
time to grow their first set of flight feathers that will take them far
and wide, and a time to gain the size and strength they will need to fly
Where do Bald Eagles build their nests? Bald Eagles always build their nests near water. It is a necessity for their way of life. How big is an Eagle's nest? A first year nest is about three feet across and one foot from top to bottom. Eagles will return to the same nest year after year, and each year add new sticks to the nest. In this way, the nests can grow to monumental size. They often measure five or six feet across, three or four feet top to bottom, and would easily support a person's weight. Built of sticks up to four feet long, the nest is more of a platform with a top lining of finer, softer material. The world record may be either a Florida nest or a Maine nest, both of which measured nine feet across and 20 feet tall, from base to top. These mammoth nests result from perhaps a hundred or more years of use by eagles. They can weigh more than two tons and their weight can eventually cause the tree to break. |
When do Bald E agles nest? Spring is the typical time of courtship for bald eagles. Mated pairs court anew each year, even if they have been together for many years.
Weighing just three to four ounces when they hatch, these young birds will increase forty fold or more in weight in just three months, testing their parents' ability to provide food and round-the-clock care. |
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The routine task of an eagle simply getting lunch is a feat of skill, athleticism and strength comparable to the greatest athletes in professional sports. This remarkable feat requires not just strength, but great skills of "tallon-eye" coordination. It's only possible because of the eagle's extraordinary vision - a degree of visual acuity that is difficult to comprehend.
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What do eagles eat?
The diet of Bald Eagles is predominantly fish. Eyesight is the most keenly developed of all the eagle's senses, and the one depended on most by the eagle to survive. They use their vision, above all else to find their food. A fish swims just beneath the water's surface, quietly at the edge of a marsh. The fish is all but invisible in its camouflage. An eagle, riding a river of wind a thousand feet above somehow spots this fish far below. It then folds its wings and drops into a diving glide targeting the prey below. Exceeding 50 miles an hour as it drops across a quarter mile of sky, it must keep precisely aimed at its target. When just inches and a split second from crashing into the water, it must precisely and instantaneously adjust its flight, extend its feet and talons, and while in full flight and with perfect timing, focus on the speed and direction of the swimming fish and make perfect contact, striking the startled prey. |
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Why is the Bald Eagle
sometimes called a "Sea Eagle"?
Scientists categorize the eagles of the world into different groups based on how they live. One group is the Sea Eagles, sometimes called Fish Eagles, named to reflect their nature of living by the sea or other large expanses of water and feeding primarily on fish. The bald eagle falls within this group. In fact, the bald eagle's strong relationship to water defines it more than any other trait. The Bald Eagle's scientific name is Haliaeetus leucocephalus. Haliaeetus is Latin for sea eagle. Leuco translates as white or clear, and cephalus means head. The bald eagle is then, our white-headed sea eagle. |
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Do eagles really have extraordinary vision? The eagle's eyes are specially evolved to give it extraordinary vision. The eye's size and shape give it magnification when compared to the human eye. But most important, the eagle's eye is densely packed with the specialized cells that give exceptional vision. The wealth of the special cells and the way they are arranged give the eagle the ability to see extraordinary detail and observe things at great distances. An eagle can spot a fish from two or three miles away. |
| How long do eagles live?
Bald Eagles have lived for over 40 years in captivity. On average, however, adult eagles in the wild have a life-span of about 15 years. Can you tell males from females? Females are typically larger than the males. Do Bald Eagles mate for life? Bald Eagles are normally monogamous, having but one mate at a time, and once a mate is chosen, the two usually remain a pair until one of them dies. When a mate is lost, the remaining bird will find another mate and form another lasting bond. |
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All Materials used in this
website have been Willow Creek Press |
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