Bald Eagle

About the Bald Eagle

The bald eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle, which occupies the same niche as the bald eagle in the Palearctic. Its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico. It is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The plumage of an adult bald eagle is evenly dark brown with a white head and tail. The tail is moderately long and slightly wedge shaped. Males and females are identical in plumage coloration, but sexual dimorphism is evident in the species, in that females are 25% larger than males. The beak, feet and irises are bright yellow. The legs are feather free, and the toes are short and powerful with large talons. The highly developed talon of the hind toe is used to pierce the vital areas of prey while it is held immobile by the front toes. The beak is large and hooked, with a yellow cere.

What the Bald Eagle sounds like

Where it lives

Recorded as a rare visitor in Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Cuba, Japan, United Kingdom.

When to see it

The Bald Eagle can be seen all year round, with peak activity in May. It is a resident species across most of its range.

Watch the Bald Eagle on live cams

• Big Bear Bald Eagle NestBig Bear Lake, California, USA · Streaming now
• SuperBeaks Bald Eagle NestCentral Florida, USA · Streaming now
• Kisatchie National Forest Eagle CamsKisatchie National Forest, Louisiana, USA · Streaming now
• Dulles Greenway Eagle CamLeesburg, Virginia, USA · Streaming now
• Glacier Gardens Bald Eagle CamJuneau, Alaska, USA · Streaming now
• Hancock Wildlife Eagle CamsBritish Columbia, Canada · Streaming now
• Glen Hazel (Hays) Bald Eagle CamPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA · Streaming now
• Decorah EaglesDecorah, Iowa, USA · Streaming now
• Decorah North EaglesDecorah, Iowa, USA · Streaming now
• Trempealeau EaglesTrempealeau, Wisconsin, USA · Streaming now
• West End Bald Eagles, Catalina IslandCatalina Island, California, USA · Streaming now
• Southwest Florida Eagle CamNorth Fort Myers, Florida, USA · Returns October
• Redding Bald Eagles (Guardian and Liberty)Redding, California, USA · Returns February
• Dale Hollow Eagle CamDale Hollow Lake, Tennessee, USA · Returns February
• Berry College EaglesRome, Georgia, USA · Returns November
• Window to Wildlife CamsFlorida, USA · Returns December
• Mississippi River Flyway CamUpper Mississippi River, USA · Streaming now

Browse all 118 bird cams worldwide, live and seasonal, by region and species.

Easily confused with

• White-tailed EagleHaliaeetus albicilla
• Steller's Sea EagleHaliaeetus pelagicus
• Pallas's Fish EagleHaliaeetus leucoryphus

Quick questions

How do you identify a Bald Eagle?

The plumage of an adult bald eagle is evenly dark brown with a white head and tail. Full identification notes are on this page.

How big is a Bald Eagle?

The Bald Eagle is a huge sized bird weighing about 4.7 kg.

Where can you see a Bald Eagle?

The Bald Eagle occurs in 12 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, St. Pierre & Miquelon and Bermuda.

What does a Bald Eagle sound like?

You can listen to 2 field recordings of the Bald Eagle on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.

What birds look similar to a Bald Eagle?

The Bald Eagle is most easily confused with the White-tailed Eagle, the Steller's Sea Eagle and the Pallas's Fish Eagle.

Is the Bald Eagle endangered?

The Bald Eagle is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.