![]() ![]() While their courtship mainly occurs in the air, copulation does not. The most famous ritual is called the Cartwheel display and it’s where male and female bald eagles will link talons in the sky then proceed to drop from the sky, they unlock their talons at the last minute before they hit the ground. During this breeding season, they have very distinct courtship rituals. An experiment to discover the function of Bald Eagle play would be to observe Bald Eagle’s to determine whether those who play more in their youth have better survival skills as adults.īald Eagles mating season varies depending on the region where they live and they only have one brood per year (Buehler, 2000). However, it is not certain what this play is for so further research in the area is needed. Adult “play” behavior is thought to help them improve the skills they need to survive and reproduce (Buehler, 2000). This is especially prevalent in nestlings and its believed this is because “playing” teaches them foraging and other skills they will need in adulthood. Bald Eagle’s have also been seen to “play” in ways such as passing sticks around and picking up unusual objects. Bald Eagles mainly migrate alone however sometimes they happen to end up in small groups when migrating. They will steal food from ospreys small mammals and harass/are harassed by Golden Eagles (Buehler, 2000). ![]() They also have aggressive relations with other birds and mammals. However, even here their interactions are aggressive with birds fighting over food and status within the group (Wilson and Gessaman, 2003). Up to hundreds of bald eagles will congregate at communal roost sites at a time. On the other hand, outside of the breeding season, Bald Eagles are very social. Because of this, they don’t socialize much during the breeding season and mainly only interact with their mate and their offspring (Buehler, 2000). During the breeding season, bald eagles aggressively defend their territory from intruders. In flight, Turkey Vultures hold their wings up at an angle, rather than spread out level with their body.During the breeding season and outside of the breeding season, bald eagles have very different social behavior. These vultures are smaller, however, with noticeably smaller heads. Turkey Vultures: Turkey Vultures are large, dark birds of prey that can be confused with juvenile Bald Eagles. Adult Red-Tailed Hawks also have a reddish tail, a pale belly with a darker belly band, and characteristic dark patagial marks on the front edges of their wings. They are much smaller than Bald Eagles, however, and have broader wings with smaller primary feathers. Red-Tailed Hawk: The Red-Tailed Hawk is a common and widespread raptor that can be confused from a distance. Even juvenile Ospreys have a dark back and white underparts, with whitish legs and feet. These large hawks differ from juvenile Bald Eagles in that their plumage is markedly dark and white. Osprey: Ospreys are a common hawk of rivers, lakes, and coastal areas. Birdwatchers should attempt to rule out the following species to confirm their identification. Golden Eagles are not the only birds that can be confused with juvenile Bald Eagles. Other species that look similar to juvenile Bald Eagles Juvenile Bald Eagles also have a white on the underside of their tails, although it tends to be mixed with darker plumage, resulting in a weakly defined band. The white patch on the tail of a young Golden Eagle is also much clearer and contrasts strongly with a dark terminal band. These areas of white feathers are roughly defined, unlike the neat white wing patches of a young Golden Eagle that are located further towards the wing tip. Birders should also take note of the position of any white underside plumage on a flying eagle.įirst-year Bald Eagles have white wing feathers on either side of their body in the ‘arm-pit’ area. White belly feathers are usually absent on first-year Bald Eagles too but can be quite prominent on older immature birds. The belly of a perched bird should also be inspected for any signs of white plumage, which will be absent on Golden Eagles. This can be very useful for telling the two species apart when perched. One of the defining features of the Golden Eagle is the golden/blonde color on the nape of their necks. Read on to learn where and what to look for when distinguishing between Golden Eagles and juvenile Bald Eagles. The two raptors don’t usually occupy the same habitats, but where their territories overlap, there are some important physical differences between these two large eagles. The Golden Eagle is the species most easily confused with the juvenile Bald Eagle. How do you tell the difference between a juvenile Bald Eagle and a Golden Eagle? ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |