What is the distribution range of the bald eagle?
Where do American bald eagles live?
Where do bald eagles live in Canada?
What is the habitat of bald eagles?
How rare is it to see a bald eagle?
Where are bald eagles most common?
Where is the best place to see bald eagles?
Where do bald eagles live in winter?
Where do bald eagles live in summer?
Where do bald eagles go at night?
Bald eagles are majestic and powerful birds originally called “bald” for their white heads (because bald comes from balde, the Old English word for white). The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States and has become a symbol of strength, courage and wisdom. It’s possible to realize that bald eagles live in the United States, but where else do bald eagles live?
Bald eagles are found in every state in the United States except Hawaii. In Canada, bald eagles nest in every province except most of Nunavut and northern Quebec. Alaska is the most abundant region for bald eagles, with about half the population living here. The bald eagle lives in the Chihuahua Desert as far south as northern Mexico.
The bald eagle population is growing rapidly, almost quadrupling between 2009 and 2021. In Alaska, there are about 70,000 birds. British Columbia is probably the next most populous region, with 20,000 to 30,000 birds. Bald eagles are common year-round on the east and west coasts, in the Rocky Mountains, and on the Mississippi River.
Read on to learn more about where these amazing birds of prey live, and where you can go to see them!
close up of a bald eagle
What is the distribution range of the bald eagle?
The range of the bald eagle covers most of Canada and Alaska, all 48 states of the lower United States and northern Mexico.
In Canada, bald eagles are found in all provinces except Nunavut. They are also rare in northern Quebec and the upper Yukon. Bald eagle populations in Mexico are small, around 20 or so, but these numbers increase during migration.
Where do American bald eagles live?
Bald eagles are found in every state in the United States except Hawaii.
The top 5 states with the largest estimated bald eagle populations are as follows:
- Alaska: 40,000 to 50,000 birds
- Minnesota: 5,500 to 12,000 birds
- the state of Wisconsin: 5,000 to 10,500 birds
- Florida: 3,000 to 5,250 birds
- Washington: 2,000 to 4,000 birds
During the winter months, the proportion of bald eagles in the US states changes dramatically. For example, the populations of Kansas, Illinois, Colorado, and Arkansas triple during migration.
While Alaska has always had the lion’s share of bald eagles in North America, their numbers in the Home 48 states are climbing rapidly. Fascinatingly, the estimated bald eagle population in the lower 48 states in 2009 was only around 72,000. As of 2021, they have more than quadrupled to about 315,700.
Bald eagles are most common in Alaska
Where do bald eagles live in Canada?
Bald eagles inhabit much of Canada, below icy Nunavut and northern Quebec.
Most Canadian bald eagles live in coastal British Columbia (approximately 20,000 to 30,000 birds), with inland populations throughout the country, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Bald eagles are also found in large numbers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northern Ontario.
What is the habitat of bald eagles?
Bald eagles usually prefer forested, mountainous or semi-mountain habitats near estuaries, lakes, reservoirs, rivers and coasts.
While bald eagles tend to nest in trees, some also nest on the ground. Ground nests are more common near the coast or in arid environments with few trees, including most of Alaska, the California Islands, and parts of Canada.
Bald eagles prefer large, mature trees, but can also nest in dead trees, provided they are strong and sturdy. Habitat selection is based on food abundance above all else.
Bald eagle perched in the forest
How rare is it to see a bald eagle?
Bald eagles are fairly common in the most populated areas. In some towns in Alaska, such as Unalaska, bald eagles are so common that they are considered a nuisance or even a pest!
In winter, bald eagles are easy to spot along the northern Mississippi River as well as on the east and west coasts. During winter migrations, it is not uncommon to see small flocks of 5 to 20 bald eagles.
Additionally, bald eagle sightings have been seen in many major cities, including in New York, where a bald eagle named Rover took a keen interest in Central Park! Vulture sightings are becoming more common in rather unusual places. For example, in February 2022, two bald eagles stopped by Dallas, Texas, while winter sightings are also becoming more common in northern Mexico and New Mexico.
A flock of bald eagles, perched on a tree
Where are bald eagles most common?
Bald eagles are most common in Alaska, followed by British Columbia, Canada. Alaska has 40,000 to 50,000 birds, and British Columbia has about 20,000 to 30,000 birds.
Where is the best place to see bald eagles?
One of the most popular bald eagle viewing spots in Alaska is the Alaska Chilkat Eagle Sanctuary, home to about 4,000 birds in winter.
In the lower 48 states, Klamath Basin (Oregon and California), Starved Rock State Park (Illinois), Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge (Florida), Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge (Missouri State), Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge (Utah), and North Platte National Wildlife Refuge (Nebraska) are popular places to see eagles.
In Canada, Brackendale Eagle Provincial Park on the west side of the Squamish River is one of the best places in the world to spot bald eagles.
A bald eagle soaring in the sky at the Chilkat Eagle Preserve in Alaska
Where do bald eagles live in winter?
Bald eagles have complex migration patterns, but they still live in most of North America and northern Mexico during the winter.
In the Great Lakes region and eastern Canada, bald eagles often migrate along the Mississippi River or along the East Coast. On the Pacific Northwest coast, bald eagles sometimes fly north rather than south in winter.
States along the Mississippi River have seen some of the most dramatic increases in winter bald eagle populations, including Kansas, Illinois, Colorado, Missouri and Arkansas. Populations in Texas, New Mexico and northern Mexico also increase during the winter.
bald eagle diving for prey
Where do bald eagles live in summer?
During the summer months, bald eagle populations may be more concentrated in the northernmost states and Canada.
Many bald eagles stay year-round in Alaska, Canada, and the northern territories—bald eagles migrate for food rather than warmth. In fact, bald eagles sometimes migrate north during the hot summer months.
Where do bald eagles go at night?
Vultures are primarily diurnal, meaning they sleep at night, although some vultures maintain more nocturnal sleep patterns.
Vultures sleep at night in their large nests or in treetops. Communal roosting has been observed in winter, especially among juveniles.
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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.
