Tag Archives: eagle sub-adult

White-headed Sea Eagle Lift-offf

We know of this majestic creature as the American Bald Eagle, but after reading about eagles I couldn’t help but use the earlier and much more accurately descriptive common form of the bird’s name, a White-headed Sea Eagle.

Haliaeetus leucocephalus Is the eagle’s scientific genus and species name. Haliaeetus comes from Ancient Greek and means sea, or hali and eagle, or aetos.

Leuccocephalus is also from Ancient Greek; white, or leukos and head, or cephalus.

There are four species of Sea Eagles worldwide and they are the American Bald Eagle, Steller’s Sea Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, and Palla’s Fish Eagle.

It takes about 5 years for a Bald Eagle to become a breeding adult. Based on its head and tail feather patterning that you can see clearly in the video, I think this eagle is about 3.5 to 4 years old.

John Audubon’s rendering of the Bald Eagle, titled White-headed Eagle, 1828 – Plate No. XXXI

FLEETING MOMENT WITH A BALD EAGLE SUB-ADULT, POSSIBLY 3.5 YEARS OLD

An all too brief encounter with a young Bald Eagle, possibly 3.5 years old. You can tell by the tail feathers that are edged in brown, not yet fully white; and the amount of brown streaking around his eyes and the back of his head.

He flew in and out within a matter of minutes. What a beautiful scene though, despite being short lived.

NEW VIDEO – A BALD EAGLE SOARS OVER GLOUCESTER!

What a thrill to see the Eagle close-up, and to see it fly by our City skyline!

After a great morning filming local wildlife and as I was heading home, flying down the road overhead was a large brown bird with an entourage of Crows and gulls in tow. Wow. That’s weird I thought, Crows don’t usually dive bomb Turkey Vultures. To everyone walking down the road’s utter delight, it was not a Turkey Vulture, but a gorgeous Bald Eagle.

The not yet fully mature Eagle hovered over Niles Beach at one location for some time, circling back several times. I couldn’t figure out what he/she was so interested in. Perhaps it was the giant fish head that had washed ashore several days ago. After a bit, the Eagle flew off to the tippy top of a pine tree overlooking the water.

Eagles are superb hunters and fishers, and also love to scavenge carrion.

I think the Eagle is a sub-adult, about 3 and a half to four and a half years old. The above photo is of a mated adult and a sub-adult, taken in Gloucester last spring.