More on Bald Eagles

Icon of a nation; symbol of the freedom, strength and self-reliance we want in our own lives, a pair of bald eagles perches regally on a snow-covered branch, illuminated by Alaska’s soft winter sunlight. Perhaps fitting, then, that these majestic birds are found only in North America, bald eagles gather here by the thousands along riverbanks and shorelines, feasting on the almost certain supply of fish inhabiting these waters. Drawn to rivers like the Chilkat because thermal activity keeps them ice-free all year, eagles numbering in the thousands, all in one location, create yet another of nature’s spectacular wildlife displays. Although some 30,000 eagles live in Alaska, the sight of even one, "up close and personal," always leaves us emotionally touched by the grandeur of nature’s design. My Experience of Bald Eagles Forthcoming from DeeAnn Pederson The Nature of Bald Eagles By Bradford Glass Alaska and bald eagles just seem to go together. In the fall and early winter, eagles by the thousands congregate along the Chilkat River near Haines. Due to thermal springs underneath this river bed, the river stays ice-free, allowing the salmon to continue their runs late into the season. Because nature always moves simply and effortlessly toward "what works," eagles and salmon continue their predator/prey relationship in a spectacular display of beauty. This scene is repeated over and over again, in many areas of this expansive state, so full of natural beauty and variety. Places with names that attract us for their mystery -- Kenai Fjords, Ketchikan, Wrangell Narrows, Admiralty Island, Glacier Bay, Yakutat, and even Juneau. Eagles need space, and Alaska has space. Eagles need fish, and Alaska has fish. It’s so demonstrative of the delicate interplay of land, weather, fauna and flora that makes the world of nature the ultimate sustainable system. Eagles are migratory birds, following food supplies from season to season. For many of Alaska’s eagles, they needn’t travel too far. Plentiful resources, abundant fish life, offer home for eagles much of the year. For those that do migrate, sometimes-long journeys begin in the fall, when northern waters begin to freeze. Eagles stay generally along the coast and in coastal rivers, mainly because of feeding opportunities. For reasons still unknown, fledgling eagles migrate before their parents, leaving the question of how they find their way. Another of nature’s beautiful mysteries. Soaring for miles and miles on atmospheric thermals, and at speeds up to 30 miles per hour, eagles take advantage of nature’s fuel and use very little of their own energy.

Freedom Opportunist

Classified as fish eagles, these majestic hunters grab fish from the water’s surface with their talons, a truly beautiful sight to behold. Many (including Benjamin Franklin) view eagles as unbefitting of the designation of national symbol, for they are also scavengers, finding, stealing, and fighting over carrion, seemingly content with any source of food whatsoever.

Mating for life, male and female both participate in the nesting and rearing activities. Nests are used year after year, and can grow to the weight of two tons, with a diameter of nine feet. One, perhaps two, of 2-3 chicks will survive, and are fed by their parents, growing quickly to nearly adult size in only six weeks. In addition to being family birds, eagles are also social, congregating, feeding, and migrating in large groups. Eagles can live 25 - 30 years.

Early native myths strongly associate the eagle with the sun, likening the sun’s daily journey across the sky to the flight of an eagle. An Iroquois poem: I hear the eagle bird, with his great feathers spread, pulling the blanket back from the east, how swiftly he flies, bearing the sun to the morning.