Bald Eagle Babies

 Bald Eagle babies look quite different than their parents, color wise. 

 Picture from Wild Nature Images

Young birds have mostly dark heads and tails with their brown wings and bodies mottled with white in varying amounts. Bald eagle babies attain adult coloring, including a white head, in about five years.

The All-American Eagle

The 4th of July is tomorrow, and what better time to feature some of our most patriotic items? Really, it doesn't get much more American than the eagle, the symbol of our nation. Bonus: All of these would be great decorations or props if you're hosting an Olympics party later this month! Go U.S.A!

 Freedom Wall Hanging

Stuffed Bald Eagle

Forever Free Jigsaw Puzzle

 Patriotic Eagle Thermometer

 Bald Eagle Figurine

 Cuddlekins Bald Eagle

Lone Star Eagle T-shirt

Colbert The Eagle

Liberty The Eagle Zibbie

Visit our website to see our full selection of eagle toys and gifts!

The Long-Crested Eagle

Visually the complete opposite of the bald eagle, the long-crested eagle has perhaps the most striking hairdo of any bird of prey.

 

 

Photo: D. Gordon E. Robertson

Long-crested eagles inhabit all types of woodland areas throughout parts of Senegal, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Namibia. At less than two feet long they are quite small for eagles, and thus feed primarily on small rodents and lizards. Long-crested eagles aren’t currently considered threatened, but any loss of woodland habitat can have a negative effect on their population.

The Golden Eagle - Apex Predator

The golden eagle is the largest bird of prey in North America, and with a range that includes most of the northern hemisphere, the most widespread eagle on earth.

Photo: Jason Hickey

With a wingspan of over seven feet and weighing up to 15lbs, an adult golden eagle will not be mistaken for a smaller hawk or falcon. Golden eagles live in areas of open country such as desert and sparse forests. They usually build a nest of sticks on a cliff ledge or occasionally in a tree. This nest will be the home for a mated pair of golden eagles for life and they will enlarge and repair the nest as necessary.

The vast majority of the golden eagle’s diet consists of small to medium-sized mammals such as hares, marmots and young deer. Other major food sources include birds such as pheasants, grouse, falcons and hawks, as well as any available carrion.

Due to their massive size, healthy adult golden eagles have no natural predators of their own. They have been known to get mobbed by groups of smaller hawks and falcons when they invade a nesting area though. A healthy golden eagle can live for 30 years in the wild.

By far the greatest threat to golden eagles comes from habitat loss. Once thriving golden eagle populations in Europe are now severely restricted, and though still common in much of North America and Asia, populations continue to decline in areas with an increasing human presence.

Amazing Animal Hand Art

I’ve decided to take a break today from sharing animal facts with you guys to show you some amazing animal hand art I ran across on Illusion King. The detail of this artwork is incredible! In fact, I’d feel bad about washing my hands if I had any of these painted on me; enjoy!

 

The Fox-Eagle Connection

Island foxes, found only on California’s Channel Islands are among the rarest foxes remaining on earth. At less than 20 inches long and only about six inches tall, they are significantly smaller than most foxes, and have developed and evolved in an almost completely geographically isolated island environment. Each of the Channel Islands plays host to a slightly different species of island fox, and populations of many had dwindled to less than 20 animals by the late 1990s.

Island Fox

So what was the cause of this sharp decline? Surprisingly, human population growth and loss of habitat are not completely to blame in this situation, as the majority of the Channel Islands are protected land. Rather, biologists point to a shift in eagle populations. Bald eagles were once native to the Channel Islands, but in the 1960s their populations were decimated due to use of the pesticide DDT. With the bald eagle gone, smaller golden eagles began nesting on the Channel Islands; and whereas the bald eagles eat fish, golden eagles prey upon mammals.

Golden Eagle

The golden eagle presence seemed to have little effect on island fox populations for nearly 30 years. Then in the early 1990s the National Park Service exterminated the nonnative feral pigs that had been introduced to the islands, eliminating the golden eagle’s primary food source. Due to their isolation and lack of any natural predators, the island fox was not equipped to being preyed upon, and because of this were nearly driven to extinction.

Conservationists are taking a multi-pronged approach to protecting the island fox. They are making attempts to capture and relocate golden eagles and other nonnative species to the mainland, and are no longer allowing visitors to bring pets to national parks on the islands, as island foxes are susceptible to diseases from domestic dogs. Finally, attempts are being made to reintroduce bald eagles to the Channel Islands, as a healthy bald eagle population would prevent the return of golden eagles. These steps combined with captive breeding programs will hopefully allow this rare species to continue on.

Island Foxes in Captivity

The Turkey - Almost A National Symbol

There is perhaps no greater symbol of our country than its national bird, the bald eagle. With its regal appearance it’s easy to see why the bald eagle was chosen by congress to represent America rather than the  wild turkey that Benjamin Franklin was campaigning for. In a well-known letter he wrote to his daughter in 1784, Franklin made his feelings about the national bird known.

“For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.

With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country...

I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For in Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.”

We can gather from his letter that Mr. Franklin was not too big a fan of the bald eagle. But in the end, congress got their way; the bald eagle received national symbol status and the turkey got...Thanksgiving.