Gary Helm
"The Neighborhood Bully"
Florida's bald eagles are considered part of the southern subspecies which nests in Florida, Mexico, the southern Atlantic states, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona and southern California. Southern bald eagles tend to be smaller than the northern subspecies, and they nest in winter instead of spring.
The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is unique to North America. It belongs to a group of avians known as fish or sea eagles. Of the eight fish eagles that exist worldwide, only one, the bald eagle, is found in the Western Hemisphere.
Eagles normally nest in the same area, and sometimes the same tall tree, year after year, yet they often travel thousands of miles between seasons. As primarily fish and carrion eaters, most of Florida's nesting eagles are found within a mile of a coastline or some permanent year-round body of water. Unlike ospreys, which are often confused for bald eagles, eagles usually avoid nesting in man-made structures such as channel markers, utility poles and the like. They prefer live trees.
Florida's bald eagles nest at a time contrary to that in other parts of the country. Elsewhere, bald eagles nest in the spring and summer when food is at its most abundant. Florida eagles, on the other hand, nest in winter when prey is plentiful throughout the peninsula. For instance, in the dry winter season, fish are more concentrated when ponds shrink or dry up.
It's believed that bald eagles are able to spot items two or three times farther away than humans. Their vision, among the best of all living animals, is what the eagles rely on to hunt their prey. They typically use their feet to snare and kill their prey.
When capturing another bird in flight, the eagle will fly below its prey, turns upside down and snatches the victim by its breast. When fishing, the bald eagle is a stunning, majestic sight as it swoops down and grabs a fish with its talons, often not even getting its legs wet.
However, as Ben Franklin (who wanted the turkey as our national symbol) noted, bald eagles are of definite "bad moral character" since they steal food from other birds. The neighborhood bully, the bald eagle may swipe food from ospreys, which share the same kind of habitat, and they also steal from other eagles as well.
I found this bully along Joe Overstreet Road in Osceola County, Florida.
"The Neighborhood Bully"
Florida's bald eagles are considered part of the southern subspecies which nests in Florida, Mexico, the southern Atlantic states, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona and southern California. Southern bald eagles tend to be smaller than the northern subspecies, and they nest in winter instead of spring.
The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is unique to North America. It belongs to a group of avians known as fish or sea eagles. Of the eight fish eagles that exist worldwide, only one, the bald eagle, is found in the Western Hemisphere.
Eagles normally nest in the same area, and sometimes the same tall tree, year after year, yet they often travel thousands of miles between seasons. As primarily fish and carrion eaters, most of Florida's nesting eagles are found within a mile of a coastline or some permanent year-round body of water. Unlike ospreys, which are often confused for bald eagles, eagles usually avoid nesting in man-made structures such as channel markers, utility poles and the like. They prefer live trees.
Florida's bald eagles nest at a time contrary to that in other parts of the country. Elsewhere, bald eagles nest in the spring and summer when food is at its most abundant. Florida eagles, on the other hand, nest in winter when prey is plentiful throughout the peninsula. For instance, in the dry winter season, fish are more concentrated when ponds shrink or dry up.
It's believed that bald eagles are able to spot items two or three times farther away than humans. Their vision, among the best of all living animals, is what the eagles rely on to hunt their prey. They typically use their feet to snare and kill their prey.
When capturing another bird in flight, the eagle will fly below its prey, turns upside down and snatches the victim by its breast. When fishing, the bald eagle is a stunning, majestic sight as it swoops down and grabs a fish with its talons, often not even getting its legs wet.
However, as Ben Franklin (who wanted the turkey as our national symbol) noted, bald eagles are of definite "bad moral character" since they steal food from other birds. The neighborhood bully, the bald eagle may swipe food from ospreys, which share the same kind of habitat, and they also steal from other eagles as well.
I found this bully along Joe Overstreet Road in Osceola County, Florida.