Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
Place observed
Miller Marsh, former golf course area, Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille Îles.
Description
The Bald Eagle can be 75 to 100 cm tall when perched, and its wingspan can reach over 2 m when extended. In flight, it can reach speeds of up to 70 km/h. Bald Eagles have 4 times the visual acuity of humans. The female is slightly larger than the male and its plumage is identical to the male. The head and tail are white and the body is dark brown. The beak, eyes and legs are yellow, while the talons are black. Juveniles are entirely brown and remain so for 3 to 6 years. They begin to breed at about 5 years old.
Habitat
Its habitat is North America and its preferred territories in Quebec are: the Outaouais, Anticosti Island and the Mingan Archipelago. In Rosemère, it has already been observed at the Miller Marsh and also in the area of the former golf course. Other sightings have been made in the region, along the Rivière des Mille Îles. A large number of eagles living in our northern latitudes migrate each year to spend the winter along the coasts of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
Breeding
In Quebec, the breeding season for eagles extends from April to August and begins with a spectacular courtship, during which both male and female cling to each other with their talons, then spin and fall through the sky, finally separating just before touching the ground. Monogamous, they usually form pairs for life and return to the same nesting site year after year, if nothing disturbs them.
For nesting, they choose large trees in mature forests along large rivers or on islands. It is a species which likes the wildest spaces, away from human activities. The female lays one to three eggs and shares the brooding with the male for about thirty days. The babies are nidifugous, that is to say that as soon as they are born, they are able to move almost like adults, which allows them to leave the nest very quickly.
Food
If fish is available in the eagle's habitat, it will be the basis of its diet (up to 90%). If fish is scarce, it will feed on waterfowl and small mammals. It will not hesitate to eat these animals dead or alive.
Status and threats
The bald eagle has suffered greatly from human activities during the 20th century. Protection measures, including the ban on the use of DDT in Canada (in 1989), have halted its decline and even increased its population. It was nevertheless added to the list of threatened or vulnerable wildlife species in Quebec in September 2003. Although the eagle population in Quebec is slightly increasing, it remains vulnerable. Members of the species are mostly in poor health. Repeated lead poisoning would be the cause, according to a study whose results were published in the journal Science in 2022.
Pesticide spraying, loss and deterioration of its natural habitat, disturbance of its breeding habitat by human activities, including wind farms, as well as illegal hunting are still very real threats to it.
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