Bald Eagle
(Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
I think that eagles dislike the rain.
They don’t appear on the dampest days
on the tops of trees
in the open fields
or high in the empty sky.
Small birds sing when the water falls;
they freshen their feathers in multiple showers,
and sit in delight on the leaves and flowers.
But eagles retreat from the world.
Where do they go
to measure the weather:
to wait and watch
for a brighter day?
Do they keep dry clothes
(long black jackets and white coat-tails)
in a little closet somewhere
and hide their heads of silver hair
under a broad-rimmed hat?
Do eagles, like bees,
wherever they shelter,|
pray with each other
for warmth and a little sun?
~Suzanne Stewart
Eagle Juvenile – Margaret Boudreau 
Spirit Messenger –
Jay Bell Redbird/Rolf Bouman
(courtesy of Friends United Centre)
Bald Eagle
The bald eagle has been a spiritual symbol for many Indigenous communities in North America for generations. To the Mi’kmaq people, the eagle is a sacred animal, a symbol of strength, freedom, courage, wisdom, honour and truth. The eagle is seen as an animal with vision, having a special connection with the Creator and is therefore treated with great respect.
Physical Description
When we think of bald eagles, we think of the fully mature adults, with drastic contrast in their plumage: a dark brown/ black body and a white head and tail. However juvenile eagles have a much different plumage, displaying a brown body with brown and white mottled wings, and a banded black tail. Bald eagles can grow to a length of 70-102 cm, with wingspans of 1.8-2.3 meters. This species exhibits sexual dimorphism, with the females being 25% larger than the males.
Habitat
Bald eagles will hunt on the water and build nests in tall trees, so they are commonly found in wooded areas adjacent to large rivers or lakes. They produce the largest nests of any North American bird, averaging 1.5-1.8 meters in diameter, and 0.6-1.2 meters tall. Branches, grass, moss, cornstalk and lichens are all used as materials for building a nest. Bald eagles are found all across North America, including northern Mexico. In Canada, they are most common in British Columbia; however they are also commonly seen around Nova Scotia.
Diet
Eagles are top predators other than humans. Their diet consists mostly of various types of fish, although eagles also feed on small birds, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals. They are known, too, for being food thieves! Rather than hunt for themselves, they will often follow other birds like osprey. Once the osprey catches a fish, the eagle will harass the osprey to drop the fish. Then the eagle will swoop in and pick up the fish for itself. Other birds and animals will sometimes prey on eagle nestlings.
Life Cycle
A bald eagle goes through multiple stages in its life. During mating season, which is early February in N.S., adults will try to attract a mate by performing dangerous mating rituals such as swooping and diving through the air. A common ritual between a male and female occurs when they will both fly as high as they can, lock talons and free fall towards the earth. Once a mate has been found, the pair both gather materials to build a nest, with the female doing most of the placement of materials. A female will then lay her eggs, and she can lay one to three eggs in each brood. There is an incubation period of approximately 34-36 days, and then the eggs hatch in early April. The new chicks will remain in the nest until they are 12 weeks old, when they venture out of the nest, but remain close to their parents. At 20 weeks, the young birds will leave the nest for good. For the next four years the birds remain in their juvenile stage and live a nomadic lifestyle, traversing the continent until they reach sexual maturity and then they often return to their birthplace for mating. A bald eagle in the wild has a life expectancy of 20 years.
Bald Eagle bird calls:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bald_Eagle/sounds
Ryan Small
