In Our Neck of the Woods... Bald Eagles

In March, before everything turned green around here, I hiked to the nearest cove to take some photos of bald eagles, which are fairly common around Truman Lake.

The first photo is a juvenile (or subadult) bald eagle. I would guess this eagle is two to three years old. How can I tell? Because the eagle is starting to get white spots on its chest and head. In their first year, bald eagles are almost completely dark, with very little white specks. Gradually, they start showing more and more white spots. It isn't until the end of their FIFTH year that they finally display the classic "bald eagle look," with a completely white head and dark body.

The second and third photos show an almost mature bald eagle that landed next to the water to get a drink. It's probably in its fifth year... notice it still has some dark feathers on its head and some white feathers on its body. By next year, this eagle will have a completely white head and dark body.

The fourth photo is a mature (more than five years old) eagle in its nest, probably already with eggs that were getting ready to hatch at the time (March)—in Missouri, bald eagles often hatch out in April. This eagle was watching me carefully, making sure I kept my distance.

Photo credit:
Bald eagles - Stan C. Smith