Juvenile Bald Eagles look very different from adults, however, so how do birdwatchers identify these young raptors with confidence? Juvenile Bald Eagles lack the characteristic white head and white tail of their elders. First-year birds are dark brown overall, becoming increasingly flecked in lighter feathers as they grow older. This article describes the age and plumages that juvenile and immature bald eagles go through before attaining the adult plumage.
Bald Eagle Appearance It's pretty cool to know what a bald eagle really looks like, whether you're a bird fanatic or just fascinated by these awesome creatures. So, let's chat about how they change colors as they grow up and highlight their signature look. Color Changes Over Age Bald eagles go through a bit of a color journey as they mature, with four main stages: baby, year two, year.
Baby Bald Eagle Pictures and Videos This section of the article features several pictures of baby Bald Eagles during their different life stages and videos to give you a better look at what they typically look like. A Bald Eagle mother looking after its baby eagles. When a bald eaglet has hatched it will be a light gray color for a few weeks.
After that, they will go to brown all over their bodies. By the time a baby eagle gets its iconic brown and white feathers, it won't even be a baby anymore. It can take up to five years for these feathers to come in completely! By that time, bald eagles may have a wingspan of more than six feet wide! When bald eagle chicks, or eaglets, are born, they have unique physical traits that help them survive in their early days.
Their appearance changes significantly as they grow, but the initial characteristics are quite fascinating. Coloration and Plumage at Birth At birth, eaglets are covered in soft, fluffy down which is a pale gray color. An adult bald eagle calls to mind something more like a flying board, perhaps a snowboard, though that last image overstates the roundness of the wingtips considerably.
But it looks a good deal more aerodynamic and less hulking. The tails of juveniles are also longer, which means their shape is a bit more like golden eagles. Learn how to confidently identify a juvenile bald eagle and avoid confusing it with a juvenile golden eagle.
This guide covers plumage, behavior, and key ID tips. A young bald eagle, for example, possesses an overall mottled dark brown plumage, often with varying degrees of white flecking on the belly and underwings. This contrasts with the adult bald eagle's solid dark brown body and white head and tail feathers.
The color change from juvenile to adult offers bald eagles advantages in camouflage, communication, attracting mates, and intimidating rivals. Learning about how and why bald eagles acquire their majestic adult colors provides fascinating insights into raptor development, physiology, and behavior.