![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.windemuths.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Eagle-Bald_0521.jpg\" "\\"Eagle,")
<\/a>As a greeter for a number of years at the River \u201cS\u201d Unit of the refuge, the most frequent questions asked about birds are in reference to Bald Eagles.\u00a0 One of those questions is in regards to eagle\u2019s nests on the refuge and their locations.\u00a0 We are fortunate at the refuge to have from six to eight active <\/strong>eagle nests each year.\u00a0 Several of these nests are visible to the general public, as the one behind the Visitors\u2019 Kiosk.\u00a0 The others are in protected areas away from human contact.\u00a0 It is interesting to note that the number of active eagles\u2019 nest in the lower 48 United States has increased 22-fold, from less than 450 in the early 1960\u2019s to close to 10,000 active nests now. No doubt the reason for this tremendous increase was that in 1967 the American Bald Eagle was declared an endangered species.\u00a0 It was only on June 28, 2007 that the Interior Department took it off the endangered species list.\u00a0 The Bald Eagle will still be protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.<\/p>\nThe Bald Eagle\u2019s scientific name is Haliaeetus leucocephalus.<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>This name signifies a sea (halo)<\/em> eagle (aeetos)<\/em> with a white (leukos)<\/em> head. At one time, the word “bald” meant “white,” not hairless.\u00a0 About half of the world\u2019s 70,000 Bald Eagles live in Alaska and 20,000 of them live in British Columbia.\u00a0 The northwest coast of North America is by far their greatest stronghold and the primary reason is because of the salmon.<\/p>\n Bald Eagles build their nests in large trees near rivers or coasts. A typical nest is around 5 feet in diameter. Eagles often use the same nest year after year. Over the years, some For much more detailed information about eagles and their nesting habits, the raising of their young, migration, and so much more go the web site www.baldeagleinfo.com<\/a>. In my view, this is one of the best sites with the most concise information that I have seen on Bald Eagles.<\/p>\n Come and enjoy the Bald Eagles of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge.<\/p>\n Some of the more unusual and rare birds that have been seen this past month are Snow Goose, Trumpeter Swan, Eurasian Wigeon, Canvasback, Redhead, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, California Gull, Barn Owl, Short-eared Owl, Pileated Woodpecker, Black Phoebe, Northern Shrike, Varied Thrush, and Pine Siskin.<\/p>\n Note:\u00a0 All of the pictures on the Refuge Ramblings are my own.\u00a0 Anyone interested in more of these pictures see www.WindemuthPhotography.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The national symbol of the United States is a bird that commonly frequents the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, especially in the winter.\u00a0 That bird is the American Bald Eagle.\u00a0 The Bald Eagle is the only eagle that is unique to … Continue reading <\/a>The female Bald Eagle is larger than the male.\u00a0 She has a body length of around 3 feet. and a wingspread of more than seven feet.\u00a0 Her male counterpart is about a half of foot smaller in both height and wingspread.\u00a0 It takes about five years for Bald Eagles to become sexually mature and for their head and tail feathers to become white.\u00a0 Until that time they are a mixture of brown and white with the young Bald Eagles having a black beak.\u00a0 Sometimes the juvenile Bald Eagle is confused with the Golden Eagle and many sightings of \u201cGolden Eagles\u201d have turned out to be juvenile Bald Eagles.\u00a0 A young bald eagle has more white mottled into its coloration overall than the Golden Eagle; a golden eagle is more solid in color, and its beak is more blue-black with a nearly black tip. Bald Eagles live in the wild for around 30 years. They mate for life although if one dies the survivor will not hesitate to accept a new mate.\u00a0 The eagle\u2019s eye is about the same size as a human eye although its sharpness is four times as great as a person who has perfect vision.<\/p>\n<\/a>nests become enormous, as much as 9 feet in diameter, weighing close to two tons. In this area of the northwest, eggs are usually laid in March.\u00a0 One to three eggs are usual.\u00a0 The parents incubate the eggs for 35 days and the duties are shared, with the female spending most of the time on the nest.\u00a0 The young eagles (eaglets) grow rapidly and add one pound to their body weight every four-five days.\u00a0 They take their first flight 10-13 weeks after hatching.\u00a0 It is interesting that 40% of young eagles do not survive their first flight.<\/p>\n<\/a>Bald Eagles are common at the refuge in the winter.\u00a0 Listen for the shrill, high pitched call, and the twittering that are common vocalizations of the Bald Eagle. Notice a flock of geese, all of a sudden, erupting into the sky and chances are that an eagle is flying by.\u00a0 Find a good field guide, like Sibley\u2019s, and study the five-year changing coloration patterns as an immature eagle becomes an adult.\u00a0 Find an active Eagle\u2019s nest and observe the care and maintenance that the breeding pair will put into the nest throughout the year and finally watch the hatching and growth of the eaglets through the spring and early summer months.<\/p>\n