A Bald Eagle’s Snowy Descent
James Neiger finds the famed raptor mid-plunge.
The Bald Eagle is native to forested regions near large bodies of water in Canada, the United States, parts of Mexico, and the islands that neighbor these countries. Though a solitary hunter and migrator, the Bald is thought to mate for life, pairs reuniting each year during their January to March breeding season. About two months prior egg-laying, the couple creates a nest of sticks and soft plant material. Nests are often used many years in a row, each occupant building upon the previous. The largest documented Bald Eagle nest, made by a pair and possibly their successors, measured over nine feet across, 20 feet deep, and weighed more than two tons.
This image was a Top 100 photo from the 2011 Audubon Magazine Photography Awards. To see all of the photos, click here.
For more on the Bald Eagle:
Introducing the Bald Eagle, our National Symbol
Guide to North American Birds: Bald Eagle