The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North

The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America.
During the winter months, eagles can be seen hunting for food
along the Illinois River at Starved Rock State Park, near Utica, Illinois.
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Scientific name: Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Wingspan: 72” to 90”
Size: The female bald eagle is 35 to 37 inches, slightly larger than the male.
Color: Both male and female adult bald eagles have a blackish-brown back and breast;
a white head, neck, and tail; and yellow feet and bill.
Weight: Bald eagles weigh from 10-14 lbs. Eagle bones are light because they’re hollow.
Longevity: Wild bald eagles may live as long as 30 years
Speed: Bald eagles can fly to an altitude of 10,000 feet.
During level flight, they can achieve speeds of about 30 to 35 mph.
-Juvenile bald eagles are a mixture of brown and white. Immature bald eagles don’t
develop their distinctive white head and tail until they are between 4 and 5 years old..
-The beak, talons, and feathers are made of keratin.
-Bald eagles have 7,000 feathers.
-Bald eagles sit at the top of the food chain.
-Lifting power is about 4 pounds.
-Diet - Mainly fish, but they will take advantage of carrion (dead and decaying flesh).
-The bald eagle is a strong swimmer, but if the water is very cold, it may be overcome by hypothermia.
-All eagles are renowned for their excellent eyesight.
-Nests are built in large trees near rivers or coasts.
The bald eagle is the only eagle unique to North America.
Its distinctive brown body and white head and tail make it easy
to identify even from a distance. When flying, the bald eagle
very rarely flaps its wings but soars instead, holding its wings
Bald Eagles NOT bald!
The word “balde” is French for white-headed.
Diet: Eagles primarily eat fish, carrion, smaller birds and rodents as well as large birds and large fish.
Population: Bald eagle numbers in the U.S. were estimated to be between 300,000-500,000 in the 1700s. Numbers
were once as low as 500 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states. Bald eagle numbers have rebounded since and now
the lower 48 states boast over 5,000 nesting pairs. There are a total of about 70,000 bald eagles in the whole of
North America (Including Alaska and Canada).
Behavior: The bald eagle is not picky about how it gets its food. It will eat carrion, steal fish from other birds or hunt
for its own. Their most important non-carrion food is fish, which they catch by swooping down and grabbing fish
that are near the surface of the lake or stream.
Bald eagles make a high-pitched squeaking sound. Other interesting behaviors include “talon clasping” or
“cartwheel display”, where two eagles clasp each other’s talons in mid air and spin down, letting go only when
they’ve almost reached the ground. This is may be a courtship ritual as well as a territorial battle.
Reproduction:
Mating season: Anywhere from late September to early April, depending on the region.
Gestation: The female lays her first egg 5-10 days after mating. The eggs are incubated for about 35 days.
Clutch size: 1-3 eggs.
Source: Defenders of Wildlife / http://www.defenders.org/bald-eagle/basic-facts
Did you know?

June 28, 2007 - The Department of Interior took the American bald eagle off the endangered
species list.
 The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a member of the sea and fish eagle group.
 Color - Both male and female adult bald eagles have a blackish-brown back and breast; a white head,
neck, and tail; and yellow feet and bill.
 Juvenile bald eagles are a mixture of brown and white. They reach full maturity in four to five years.
 Size - The female bald eagle is 35 to 37 inches, slightly larger than the male.
 Wingspan ranges from 72 to 90 inches.
 Bald eagles can fly to an altitude of 10,000 feet. During level flight, they can achieve speeds of about 30
to 35 mph.
 Several eagles soaring in a thermal together is described as a kettle of eagles.
 Bald eagles weigh from ten to fourteen pounds.
 Eagle bones are light, because they are hollow.
 Longevity - Wild bald eagles may live as long as thirty years.
 Diet - Mainly fish, but they will take advantage of carrion (dead and decaying flesh).
 Hunting area varies from 1,700 to 10,000 acres. Home ranges are smaller where food is abundant.
 An eagle reaches sexual maturity at around four or five years of age.
 Fidelity - Once paired, bald eagles remain together until one dies.
 Bald eagles lay from one to three eggs.
 The 35 days of incubation duties are shared by both male and female.
 Nesting cycle - about 20 weeks.
 Today, there are an estimated 9,789 breeding pairs of bald eagles.
 Eagles molt in patches, taking almost half a year to replace feathers, starting with the head and working
downward.
 Birds puff up their feathers for various reasons. They puff them up while preening; to insulate
themselves to changing temperatures; when they're relaxed; to make themselves appear larger when
threatened; and when they're ill.
 The bald eagle became the National emblem in 1782 when the great seal of the United States was
adopted.
Causes of death - Fatal gun shot wounds, electrocution, poisoning, collisions with vehicles, lead ammunition,
and starvation.
Best Time to see
Eagles at
Starved Rock
State Park:
7:30 a.m.
Best Places to see Eagles
in the Starved Rock area:
Boat Ramp Park
(at Starved Rock State Park)
Lone Point Shelter (Route 71)
From the top of Starved Rock
From Eagle Cliff & Lover’s Leap
Remember! YOU are in their house. As spectators and
Eagle Watchers, we should always be respectful. It’s a fact that they are searching for food
and do not want to be distracted, scared or interrupted. They see more way than we do, so try
not to startle them. Just enjoy nature with them. If we do not endanger this bird of prey, we
will see them return year after year. That is our goal. So, get up and go outside. Learn from
the bald eagle that that best winter sights are seen in the great outdoors!
One of these Bald Eagles just caught a fish.
Can you find which one?
Take a Bald Eagle Trolley Tour
(January & February)
Offered Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays & Sundays
Includes Lunch at Elements Restaurant.
(in the heart of historic Starved Rock Lodge)
$25 per person Mon., Wed., & Sat. / $32 on Sundays with Brunch
Reservations necessary
(815) 220-7386
or book on-line at:
www.starvedrocklodge.com/tours
Don’t forget to bring your binoculars and camera!
Starved Rock Lodge & Conference Center
GPS Address: 2668 East 873rd Road
Postal Address: P.O. Box 570
Utica, IL 61373
Toll-free: (800) 868-7625
Operator: (815) 667-4211
Activities Dept.: (815) 220-7386
Photos by :
Jacki Pienta &
Kathy Casstevens
Starved Rock Lodge
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