So that doesn't look like a Bald Eagle! Not yet. But within five years, this young male Bald Eagle will successively molt his plain brown feathers until he is sporting the white head and tail that proclaims his maturity. Only then will he be attractive to the larger mature females who are looking for that one handsome mate to help her build a nest and father future progeny.
Young bald eagles such as this one, a male weighing about nine pounds, are found on the ground after attempts at fledging the nest a little too soon, or when one or both parents fail to return to feed the hungry nestling. Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers offer the only legal means of housing and feeding the birds until they are old enough to begin flight training and ultimately be released back into suitable habitat. When they have acheived a high degree of stamina and have learned to kill their natural prey on their own, they are then released back into the area of their original nest, usually around one of the many lakes and rivers here in northern California.
Unless there are wounds to complicate and extend the proccess, this can be acheived relatively quickly with a healthy young bird. Having all of the size and strength of their older parents at the time they fledge, these youngsters are formidable birds, totally fearless and present a challenge to the would-be rescuer.
Female Bald Eagles generally outweigh their male counterparts by a third, sometimes being twice as big as the smaller males. The biggest Bald Eagle you ever saw - was somebody's Mama! |
