What types of eagles can you find in Missouri?
Whenever they appear, I make certain to stop and watch these incredible birds of prey. I ’ thousand constantly amazed at their smasher, bombastic size, and astonishing ability to soar at extreme point heights ! And I ’ thousand not alone, as eagles have a especial target in many people ’ south hearts and minds. These majestic birds symbolize many things, such as freedom, courage, honesty, inspiration, victory, and pride.
Unlike other raptors, there are not many eagle species that reside in Missouri. In fact, there are alone a few species that can be observed on the entire continent .
Below are the TWO eagles that live in Missouri!
Make indisputable to pay care to the stove maps to see which eagles live near you ! For each species, I have included a few photograph, along with their most common sounds, to help you identify any birds you are lucky enough to observe .
# 1. Bald Eagle
- Haliaeetus leucocephalus
The Bald Eagle is one of the most recognizable birds in the world!
But did you know that the “Bald” portion of their name has nothing to do with not having feathers on their head? As you can clearly see, these eagles have whiten feathers covering their stallion expression with no bald spots anywhere. Their name actually stems from an Old English give voice “ motley, ” which means “ white patch ” and refers to their bright white heads .
While almost everyone knows what a full-grown Bald Eagle looks like, trying to correctly identify juvenile birds is tricky. These eagles don ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate get their characteristic whiten head and dark brown body until they are FIVE YEARS OLD. Until then, these birds have all sorts of different plumages and streaked browns and whites on their bodies. even their beak changes color ! It takes A LOT of practice and experience to identify young Bald Eagles properly!
Bald Eagles are found across Missouri!
After about going extinct in the mid twentieth century due to DDT poisoning, these raptors are a true success report. They are most commonly seen around bodies of water.
Bald Eagle Range Map
The reason that Bald Eagles are found around water is that they mostly eat fish! Look for them about marshes, lakes, coasts, and rivers. The BEST areas are forests near big bodies of water that provide good fish AND improbable trees for nesting sites .
Did you know that Bald Eagles build the largest nests in the world ?
Their nests start “ small, ” but eagles add modern layers each class. The biggest one EVER found was 10 feet wide (3 meters) and 20 feet tall (6 meters) and weighed in at 3 tons! Bald Eagles would keep adding to their nests each year, but what happens is that the structures get so heavy they finally fall out of the corner, and the birds have to start over .
Press PLAY above to hear a Bald Eagle!
The Bald Eagle probably doesn ’ metric ton sound like what you think. If you imagine an intimidating eagle call, then you would be incorrect. I think they sound more like a chump, with trills and little whistles. In fact, movie directors are so unimpressed with the sounds a Bald Eagle makes, it’s common for them to use the call of a Red-tailed Hawk instead for dramatic effect!
With matchless eyesight, it is not at all surprising that Bald Eagles hound from deoxyadenosine monophosphate high as 10,000 feet ( 3 kilometer ) in the publicize. Their vision is about eight times better than humans. More importantly, these eagles can see into the ultraviolet fortune of the spectrum. This adaptation is helpful because it allows them to see past the reflections on the urine ’ mho come on and find fish that would otherwise be inconspicuous in the glare .
Length: 28-40 inches / 70-102 curium
Weight: 6.5-15 pound / 3-7 kilogram
Wingspan: 71-91 inches / 1.8-2.3 meters
Read more : A Baltimore Oriole Who Didn’t Migrate
# 2. Golden eagle
- Aquila chrysaetos
Golden Eagles are incredibly debauched and agile, which makes them adept hunters. Where Bald Eagles largely eat fish, these eagles about constantly eat mammals. Their favored prey includes rabbits, hares, grind squirrels, marmots, and prairie dogs. But these raptors have been known to hunt and kill animals arsenic big as little deer, seals, batch goats, coyotes, and badgers !
T hey have even been known to snatch a bear cub for dinner. spill the beans about fearlessness ( or stupidity ? ) ! ?
Golden Eagles are iniquity brown with gold feathers on the backs of their necks, which is how they got their name. Juvenile birds have white patches on their wings and tails. Immature Bald Eagles and adult Golden Eagles look similar and can be easily confused.
The distinguishing feature between these two birds is that the Bald Eagle doesn’t mind showing a little leg, whereas the Golden Eagle has feathers all the way down to the top of their feet.
These herculean raptors typically mate for life. To impress a female, male birds will pick up a stick or a rock ‘n’ roll and fly up gamey, only to drop it. then the eagle will enter a dive to catch the object again before it hits the flat coat ! Once a copulate is together, it ’ mho common for them to hunt hand in glove, where one individual ambushes the prey and drives it towards the second gear shuttlecock to make the kill .
Golden Eagles are known to like cliffs to build their nests on, but besides have no problem using trees, observation towers, or nesting platforms. These raptors have even been known to nest on the ground ! The most important feature these birds look for when it comes to building a nest is it needs to have a good view of its surroundings.
Golden Eagle Range Map
Golden Eagles are not commonly seen in Missouri !
These birds prefer huge unfold areas such as landscapes that include cliffs, mountains, or hills. You can besides spot these birds in grasslands, farmlands, shrublands, north-polar tundra, and coniferous woodlands .
These eagles are not highly noisy, and their calls sound like whistles that are watery and high. Just like Bald Eagles, for such a powerful raptor, you would think Golden Eagles would have a much more intimidating sound!
Length: 26-40 inches / 66-100 curium
Weight: 6.5-16 pound / 3-7 kilogram
Wingspan: 71-91 inches / 1.8-2.3 meters
Do you need help identifying eagles?
here are a few books and resources you can purchase that will assist ! ( Links below take you to Amazon )
Which of these eagles have you seen before in Missouri?
Leave a comment below !
To learn more about other raptors near you, check out these guides!
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.