Winter Raptors: Bald Eagles on California's Prairie

Winter is a great time to see raptors in the wilds of California - particularly in the patches of grassland and prairie that remain in the Central Valley and adjacent foothills.  A few days ago, while searching for winter raptors like Ferruginous Hawks and Rough-legged Hawks (both of which we found), we happened upon four Bald Eagles (as well as two Golden Eagles).  Two of the Bald Eagles were adults, with snowy white heads, and the other two were immature birds, as evidenced by their mottled brown-and-white appearance.  It takes five years for a young Bald Eagle to develop the characteristic white feathers on its head.

Immature Bald Eagle

While Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) breed largely in the north, in forested areas near bodies of water, during the winter they are found across much of the United States, always near water.  Look for them near lakes, reservoirs, rivers, coastlines and at many of our National Wildlife Refuges.

Mature Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle is one of North America's great conservation success stories.  These majestic, symbolic birds began to decline rapidly during the mid-1900's as a result of shooting, trapping, poisoning and DDT-related reproductive failures.  In 1978, Bald Eagles became protected under the Endangered Species Act, and since 1980 their numbers have steadily increased, thanks in large part to the banning of DDT, a nasty pesticide that causes weak eggshells and early death of eggs before they hatch.  

Bald Eagle populations have recovered sufficiently enough to warrant their removal from the Endangered Species list in 2007, but the large scavengers still face a handful of threats: lead poisoning from ingesting ammunition embedded in the carcasses of animals shot by hunters, exposure to oil from spills along coastal habitats, and general loss of shoreline habitat are among the largest dangers to Bald Eagles today.

Moody skies and fading fog over a patch of California's prairie, winter habitat for eagles and other raptors.

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