Juvenile Bald Eagles (Identification Guide with Pictures)

bald eagle (White-headed catfish) is the national bird of the United States and one of the most recognizable birds in the world. These large, distinctive bald eagles are found near salt and fresh waters from Alaska to Mexico. However, juvenile bald eagles look very different from adults, so how can birders confidently identify these young raptors?

Juvenile bald eagles lack the characteristic white head and tail of their elders. First-year birds are dark brown overall, with lighter and lighter spots on their plumage as they age. Juveniles do have the diagnostic bright yellow feet of their species, but their beaks are black with a yellow slit, rather than the all-yellow that is evident in adults.

Three juvenile bald eagles in their nest, waiting to be fed

Bald eagles leave the nest about 2 to 3 months after hatching and keep their juvenile plumage until the following spring. Their new plumage includes more and more white until the birds reach sexual maturity, with adult plumage at about 5.5 years of age. During the first few years, young eaglets disperse widely, either migratory or nomadic.

Juvenile and immature bald eagles are most likely to be confused with similarly sized golden eagles, although the two species tend to occupy different habitats and have some important differences in plumage. They can also be confused with large eagles and bald eagles when viewed from a distance.

This article will help you identify juvenile bald eagles, a familiar yet surprising American favorite. Read on to learn what these baby birds look like, and how to tell them apart from some similar raptors.

Close up of juvenile bald eagle perched on driftwood

What does a juvenile bald eagle look like?

Juvenile bald eagles are large birds of prey with large heads and large, heavy beaks.

In flight, their heads extend more than half the length of their tails, and their wings are level with their bodies if viewed while flying at low altitudes.

The bald eagle’s wings are long, with large, prominent primary feathers forming rounded wingtips.

Juvenile bald eagles are dark brown with white spots and spots. When viewed from below in flight, the end of the tail has a very distinct black stripe. As young birds go through each successive molt, their plumage becomes more varied and paler.

Young bald eagles don’t develop their species-specific white head and tail until they are about 5 years old.

Close up of a juvenile bald eagle in flight

What color are juvenile bald eagles?

Juvenile bald eagles are mostly dark brown, although they have some white feathers on the underside of their wings. When the bird is viewed from below in flight, these white feathers appear as white armpits.

Juvenile bald eagles do not have the sharp yellow eyes or bright yellow beaks of their parents. Instead, their eyes are brown and their mouths are black. However, their lower legs and feet do have the same yellow color as adults.

How big is a juvenile bald eagle?

The bald eagle is the largest eagle in North America, second only to the magnificent California condor when compared to other raptors. While their plumage will continue to develop, the chicks don’t grow much after leaving the nest. In fact, their bones grow to full size and may even lose weight when fledgling.

Bald Eagle Body Measurements

• Body Length: 28 – 38 inches (71 – 96 cm)
• Armspan: 66 – 96 inches (165 – 244 cm)
• Weight: 5 – 14 lbs (2 – 6.3 kg)

Juvenile Bald Eagle Spreading Wings

What do juvenile bald eagles eat?

Adult bald eagles have a varied diet, but getting a meal together often requires great skill and even intimidation.

Young bald eagles are raised by their parents for a few weeks after leaving the nest, but over the next few months they will need to learn to find food on their own. They lack the necessary skills at this time to catch their own live prey or steal it from other birds, so they tend to feed on dead fish and other carcasses.

Juvenile bald eagle feeding on carrion

How long do Bald Eagle juvenile feathers live?

Bald eagles have fully developed juvenile feathers 11 – 14 weeks after hatching. They retain these feathers until the second calendar year, when their first molt begins in spring and finishes in late summer. Thereafter, bald eagles molt every year, only growing their characteristic adult (final) feathers in their 5th or 6th year.

Juvenile bald eagle molts into adult feathers

How long do baby bald eagles stay with their parents?

Juvenile bald eagles leave the nest 8 -14 weeks after hatching. This is usually a few weeks before they complete their first molt into juvenile feathers.

However, these birds may return to the often large and impressive nest for several weeks to use the site as a convenient feeding platform.

Juvenile bald eagles rely on their parents for food during the first 6 weeks after leaving the nest, although they may stay with their parents for an additional month thereafter.

Adult (left) and juvenile (right) bald eagles perched together in a tree

How do you tell the difference between a juvenile bald eagle and a golden eagle?

Golden eagles are the species most easily confused with juvenile bald eagles. These two raptors don’t usually occupy the same habitat, but where their territories overlap, there are some important physical differences between these two great eagles.

Read on to learn where and what to look for when distinguishing golden eagles from juvenile bald eagles.

feather

One of the golden eagle’s signature features is the gold/gold color on the nape of the neck. This is very useful for distinguishing between the two species while in roost. Perching birds should also be checked for any signs of white feathers on their bellies, which is not the case for golden eagles. First-year bald eagles also typically lack white belly feathers, but can be very prominent in older immature birds. Birdwatchers should also note the location of any white underside feathers on a flying hawk.

First-year bald eagles have white wing feathers on both sides of their bodies in the “armpit” area. These areas of white feathers are roughly defined, unlike the neat white wing patches of young golden eagles that are located closer to the wingtips.

The white patch on the tail of juvenile golden eagles is also more defined, contrasting strongly with the black terminal band. Juvenile bald eagles also have white under their tails, although it tends to blend with darker feathers, resulting in unclear lines.

juvenile bald eagle

golden eagle

foot

Both eagles have yellow feet, but the vulture’s feet appear more yellow due to the exposed lower tarsal bones. In contrast, golden eagles have feathers from their lower legs all the way to their feet.

head and bill

Vultures have much larger heads than golden eagles, especially when compared to the size of their tails. The beak of the bald eagle also appears to be larger compared to the golden eagle.

One obvious difference between the two birds is the color of the cere, the fleshy base on the upper side of the beak. Golden eagles have a distinctive yellow cere, while juvenile bald eagles have black beaks that become more yellow with age.

Other species that look similar to juvenile bald eagles

Golden eagles aren’t the only birds that can be confused with juvenile bald eagles. Bird watchers should try to rule out the following species to confirm their identity.

osprey: Ospreys are common eagles found in rivers, lakes and coastal areas. These great eagles differ from juvenile bald eagles in that their plumage is distinctly black and white. Even juvenile ospreys have a black back and white underparts, with white legs and feet.

Red-tailed Hawk: The red-tailed hawk is a common and widespread bird of prey that can be confusing from a distance. However, they are much smaller than bald eagles, with wider wings and smaller primary feathers. Adult red-tailed hawks also have a reddish tail, a pale belly with a darker girdle, and characteristic dark palmate markings on the leading edges of the wings.

Turkey Vulture: Turkey vultures are large, dark birds of prey that are easily confused with juvenile vultures. However, these vultures are smaller in size, with noticeably smaller heads. In flight, the turkey vulture’s wings spread upward at an angle, rather than spreading out flush with the body.

Juvenile Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) sitting on a rock off the coast of Alaska

What is the name of an immature bald eagle?

Kitty hawks are called Kitty Hawks. Once they lose their soft juvenile feathers and gain their first flight feathers, they are called juveniles. After molting from their juvenile feathers, young bald eagles are said to be immature until they acquire adult plumage and reach sexual maturity.