Bald Eagle: how to recognise it
A bird of Europe, Asia and North America. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Joe Zigmont · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Haliaeetus leucocephalus
- Family
- Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Size
- About 85 cm
- Habitat
- Lakes, rivers and coasts
- Found in
- Europe, Asia and North America
The key marks
The adult has a white head and tail; Golden Eagle is brown all over with a golden nape.
Voice
A weak, high chittering that surprises people.
Good to know
Its nests are huge and reused for years, the largest tree nests of any North American bird.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the Golden Eagle. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in lakes, rivers and coasts. It is especially common in Canada and the United States. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.