Juvenile and subadult Bald Eagles aren’t as distinctively marked as adults so they often don’t garner the attention or even the respect they deserve from the general public. They’re often confused with Golden Eagles and even large hawks, in part because they lack the bright white head and tail of the adult.
It’s been my intention to feature a juvenile or subadult Bald Eagle for a while now but unexpected events (the availability of “Mother Chukar” t-shirts and repairs to my pickup for example) kept pushing those plans to the back burner.
Saturday morning seemed like a good time to finally get it done.
1/2500, f/8, ISO 500, Canon 40D, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM + EF 1.4 Extender, not baited, set up or called in
I photographed this juvenile/subadult in flight at Farmington Bay WMA so long ago it seems like a different lifetime. The photo was taken on January 30, 2009 as the young bird circled adult eagles on the ice below. Squabbles and outright fights often break out when a newcomer lands amongst other eagles who have already established their position on the ice so the approach of this bird was slow and tentative which allowed me a series of relatively easy flight shots.
Plumages in young Bald Eagles are highly variable over the 4-5 years it takes them to become adults but several features of this bird suggest to me that it’s a first winter juvenile, including the following:
- Blackish gray bill and cere
- Dark brown iris
- The belly has turned from blackish to brown as you’d expect by the first winter
- Wing secondaries are of equal length in contrast to later plumages where they’re often of differing lengths due to variable molt and regrowth
But aging juvenile and subadult Bald Eagles is tricky and I’m far from an expert on the subject so I’m open to the possibility that this might be a second winter subadult. In fact I’m really curious to know for sure so if any knowledgeable folks out there want to wade in I’d welcome it.
Beyond the diagnostic features of this photo I just like it. Readers know that blue sky backgrounds in my flight shots aren’t my favorite but I think this photo has other strengths – the eagle is sharp, I have good ventral light and detail, there’s a catch light in the eye and that somewhat ratty-looking tail is an indicator of how difficult it is for eagles to make a living on Utah’s winter ice.
A “perfect” tail would have been fine but I’m a fan of reality in my bird photos.
Ron
It’s still easy for me to mix up juvenile Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles but through reading and studying your photos, I’m learning to see the subtle differences between the two.
“the respect they deserve from the general public They’re often confused with Golden Eagles”
A period appears to have flown off between “public” and “They’re”. 😉
Fixed. Thanks, Amy.
Ron, I learn something most every time I read your blog. Thanks for sharing. I also often learn from comments from your followers. I captured a few photos of a juvenile Bald Eagle a few weeks ago near Croydon in some cottonwood trees. I put a few images the following gallery: https://funkfamily.smugmug.com/Temporary/Juvenile-Bald-Eagle/. I’m guessing that this Bald Eagle is either 3 or 4 years old based on the tuft of white feathers on its head. Other thoughts? Thanks, Steve
Steve, based on the mostly white belly and a few other field marks like eye color my guess is that your bird is a subadult II transitioning into III. I’m not sure of it though.
Ron, Thanks for the feedback. I hadn’t thought about the eye color. After rereading your original blog comments about color of the iris and then looking at other photos of the eyes of mature bald eagles, and then noting the eye coloring of another immature bald eagle the differences are quite clear. The transition in eye color with age seems to be a very good indicator. Your guess on age seems very logical.
What a beaut! Your discussions of juvenile Bald Eagles make me smile because it was just that type of query that first brought me to your wonderful blog all those years ago. 🙂
Then it makes me smile too, Marty!
I was looking at an immature Bald Eagle this morning with a group of about 20 birders. It looked kind of similar to the one in your photo. Most everyone agreed it was a two year old. Personally, I knew positively it wasn’t an adult. Pretty sure, anyways.😉
🙂
Computer problems kept me away from this for most of the morning.
Juvenile birds are all immature or sub-adult, but all immature or sub-adults are juveniles. In ornithological terms, a juvenile bird is one wearing juvenal plumage. Juvenal plumage is that feather set worn from fledging until the first molt. For most songbirds, this is a very short time. Raptors, gulls and some other birds have one or more immature plumages. As immature no longer has the juvenal set of feathers. Generally, any bird past its first fall molt is an immature and juveniles are during that first period from fledging to first molt. The distinction is easy in robins but not so clear when plumage transistioin occurs slowly.
Thanks, Dan.
Regarding raptors I’ve heard it put this way: Juvenile refers to birds in their first plumage and subadult is all ages between juvenile and adult.
I wonder if it is still alive and visiting Utah? it would be 12-13 years old now and sporting a white head and tail. If it has survived, It has lived through a third of it’s life, image all it has experienced, harsh times and prosperous times. If only they could talk, I would aptly listen to the tales.
I’d listen too, April – endlessly. Imagine the stories about fights over food, the close calls, the epic journeys and the “kids” it had helped raise.
And likely more than a few stories about clueless humans…
I LOVE EAGLE SHOTS…My favorites are of Golden Eagles, a rarity around here. I think cloudless blue sky backgrounds are perfect…
I’m glad you like the blue sky background, Patty. Golden Eagles aren’t common anywhere in their range.
As always in addition to the delectable eye candy I have learnt things from this post. They can live up to twenty years in the wild? Given the multitude of challenges they face that is truly impressive.
Huge thanks to you and to your knowledgeable commentators.
And I love the thought of an eagle sailing by saying ‘him again? Persistent isn’t he?’
EC, a 20 year lifespan in the wild is about average. There’s at least one record of a Bald Eagle living 38 years in the wild and in captivity they live longer – the record is 50 years.
WOW! 38 years….
And a WOW from me too.
I’m clueless other than “knowing” there IS a difference between the young Bald’s and Golden’s……. 😉 Most often seeing them at distance and back lit it seems. Beautiful bird and useful information tho! 🙂
Agreed, back-lit from a distance often makes it extremely difficult. Thanks, Judy.
Love this picture😁 I’ve assumed that at a quick glance of a shadow, oh it’s just Turkey vultures. Nope it’s a sub-adult❗️ Who knows how many I’ve missed…
PS Great tee shirt ❗️
Thanks, Diana. I probably should have included TV’s as one of the species they can be confused with but around there those two species are usually found at different times of the year.
Without certainty, because I don’t think I am expert on this either, the large amount of white on the wings, brown iris, and brown belly tell me first winter juvenile. However, big caveat, when doing wild bird care we were taught that California eagles often have different markings from birds of the interior.
“California eagles often have different markings from birds of the interior”
Interesting, Martha. I didn’t know that.
Ron – love the photo and really do enjoy our juvenile and sub-adult eagles. Far more beautiful than most people think. Just from experience watching them grow up here I am leaning a little more toward second year, but being no expert on the subject I can’t back up my choice with facts. Just a gut feeling. We have a first year here right now that is darker than this one. And you are right about the tough life. I would think the farther north they are the tougher the life is. I have read that eagles living in northern states and Canada are larger than their cousins in Florida, Texas, and Arizona. Thanks for posting this beauty. He or she is probably a very handsome adult now that has flown right by you saying, “I’ve seen that guy somewhere before.” 🙂
“He or she is probably a very handsome adult now that has flown right by you saying, “I’ve seen that guy somewhere before”
I hope that’s true, Everett. Their average lifespan in the wild is about 20 years so it’s very possible.
I’m no expert but eagles gather in great concentrations at open water in the winter in Wisconsin, which has given me some practice at aging them. I have also participated in the Golden Eagle counts in western WI once.
I thought it was a first winter juvenile, trying to avoid a fight and being careful about the older birds before landing. So much white on the ventral surface, especially in the wings, is common in first year birds. The wear on the tail is interesting. I can see the whiteness as a field mark more readily through binoculars on soaring birds than bill or eye color.
Thanks, Pamela. First winter is my inclination also but I’m just not sure.