While out fishing in Alaska, you may be tempted to keep your eyes only on the water. However, you don’t want to forget that it’s worth looking up and along the shoreline as well as out over the water. The bald eagles of Alaska are just as majestic as the whales in the water.
How they look and where to spot them
You can identify mature bald eagles by their wingspan that can reach up to 7 and a half feet, their brown bodies, and their white heads with their yellow bills. Juvenile bald eagles are less easy to spot as they are smaller and still have brown feathers covering their head.
Bald eagles are birds of prey, meaning they have talons and a hooked bill. It also means that, when you do see one, you are likely to see them while they are hunting. You are most likely to see bald eagles near bodies of water or wetlands. And if you look at treetops you may see them in their large nests scouting the territory for prey or caring for their young.
What they eat
Bald eagles eat fish, waterfowl, rodents, and other small mammals.
When they can be spotted
Bald eagles are residents of the Ketchikan area year-round, but they’re more visible in the summer when they’re hunting salmon and raising their babies. You can see them pretty much anywhere that there is fish. So next time you’re in Alaska, don’t forget to look up!
Other Sources:
https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=baldeagle.main
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bald_Eagle/id
https://www.alaska.org/guide/ketchikan-eagle-viewing-30-eagles-nests-you-can-see
https://www.alaska.org/guide/eagle-viewing