Aging Bald Eagles in Flight
Bald Eagle Adult, Orlando Wetlands Park There comes a time in the life of every bird photography blogger when it becomes necessary to write on the aging of Bald Eagles. Yesterday morning I photographed two immature Bald Eagles of different ages, and this morning I added one more. This made me realize that it's time for this rite of passage. I thought it would be fun to concentrate on aging eagles while they're in flight. On average, Bald Eagles take about five and a half years to reach their definitive plumage--you know, the way they look on U.S. postage stamps (though at least one has taken up to 3 years longer). And this is complicated by the fact that eagles take about six months to complete a molt, meaning that you often see them in the process of molting. But there are some patterns that allow the observant birder to make educated guesses of a bird's age. Bald Eagles Adult (left) and Juvenile (right), Conowingo Dam When Bald Eagles fledge and leave ...