In One Ear: Convocation of eagles
“The bald eagles have been out in force,” the Seaside Aquarium posted May 10 on Facebook. “Driving from Gearhart to the South Jetty we counted over 17!”
Worldwide, there are only eight species of sea eagles, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says, and the bald eagle is the only one found throughout North America. As far as Oregon goes, the bald eagle breeds in 32 of the 36 counties, and is all over the state when not in breeding season.
“Did you know that juvenile bald eagles are brown, and appear larger than adults?” the Facebook post continued. “This leads many people to think that they are golden eagles. They appear larger than adults because their tail and wing feathers are longer than the adults’ and, even though they appear larger, juveniles weigh less.
“One way to tell the difference between a golden eagle and a juvenile bald eagle is to look at their feet. Juvenile bald eagles have unfeathered, yellow ankles, whereas golden eagles have feathers all the way to their feet.”
“Bald eagles do not get their distinctive white head and tail until they are 4 or 5 years old,” the aquarium added. “They have a life span of 30 or more years.” (Photos: Seaside Aquarium/Jean Beaufort)
