Description: The bald eagle is well known as our national symbol. A large bird measuring 31 to 37 inches in length, the wingspan of the bald eagle is six to seven and one-half feet. Adult birds have dark brown bodies that contrast sharply with the white head and tail. The eyes and beaks of adults are yellow. The birds become adults at four to five years. Immature bald eagles have dark plumage with splotches of white on the underwings and tails. The eyes and beaks of the immature birds are brown. Immature bald eagles are often confused with large hawks or golden eagles.

Habitat and Habits: The bald eagle is generally found near water such as rivers, reservoirs and lakes. Fish is the primary food item, but they also feed on carrion such as waterfowl and mammals.

Photographer: Shauna Humrich

Nests in Iowa are initiated in February or March with pairs often using the same nest year after year. The nests are normally in large trees and made of large sticks and other vegetation. The average nest is four feet in diameter and about three feet deep. The female generally lays two eggs, but several nests in Iowa have had three. Incubation is from 35 to 40 days. The young birds do not leave the nest until almost three months old.

Distribution: The bald eagle occurred throughout Canada and the United States and was a regular nesting bird in Iowa at the time of settlement. The last known nesting was believed to have occurred in 1864, until nesting was again documented in the late 1970s. In 1998 there were 84 nesting attempts with 47 being successful, producing 82 young. By 2006 the estimated number of nesting pairs had increased to 200. Nesting pairs were reported from 77 of Iowa’s 99 counties and were associated with 35 rivers and streams.

Reasons for Listing: The banning of DDT and other organochlorine pesticides in the early 1970s has helped the bald eagle population make a strong comeback. The accumulation of organochlorine pesticides in fish upon which the bald eagles were feeding was a major reason for this species’ decline. These pesticides interfered with the ability of the birds to produce viable eggs. Loss of nesting and wintering areas due to development along rivers also contributed to the population decline. Indiscriminate shooting was probably responsible for keeping populations low until the passage of the Bald Eagle Act of 1940 which provided increased protection. On August 9, 2007, the bald eagle was removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species. The bald eagles are still protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.