HoooOooh ! Got one !

[exkalibur]

Almost the end of the bird season here and finally found an eagle !


1-1930 by exkaliburdigital, on Flickr

 

[exkalibur]

When I spotted her


1-1895 by exkaliburdigital, on Flickr

 

[Hunter58]

Nice shots. How do you know it's a her?

 

[exkalibur]

Educated guess because I got a few shots of what seems like a male right after.

 

[Hunter58]

Educated guess because I got a few shots of what seems like a male right after.

By sight (or behavior) I don't think you can tell. You would have to weigh and/or measure them and even then it can be tough to tell. Males & females look the same. When they are young they are brown, until about 3 to 4 years of age when they begin to get their white head feathers. Some people will see an eagle in the nest with the eaglets and think it's the mother. But if you hang around long enough you will see one fly in and the other fly out as they take turns. Sometimes they both hang out in the nest for a while.

 

[exkalibur]

Good to know Hunter58. I surely need to read up a bit (new to birding)

 

[exkalibur]

The other one that was there


The other Eagle by exkaliburdigital, on Flickr

 

[Hunter58]

Nice shot. That's another young one and it's going through the color change, probably molting as well. This one may be a year older than the other but it's hard to know for sure.

 

[dannylightning]

those turned out great..

 

[coastalconn]

Sweet Eagles! The first one looks like a yearling to me and the second one is probably about 3 years old, by 4 years their heads and tails are mostly white with black mottling. By year 5 they have the full blown white head and tail..

 

[baturn]

Very nice shots! I think that might be a Golden Eagle ( my IDing skills and resources aren't the best) and is never going to have a white head. the 2nd is definitely a juvenile.