Alaska Bald Eagle

The Alaska Bald Eagle population is larger than that in Wisconsin, Washington, Florida, Minnesota, and Oregon. The greatest concentration of Bald Eagles occurs on the Chilkat River near Haines, Alaska at the time of salmon run. In mid October through December you can see thousands of Bald Eagles along the banks of Alaskan rivers and lakes. The Northern Mississippi valley is a good alternative to Alaskan eagle watching. Bald Eagles can also be seen in other US states, except Hawaii. In winter, they concentrate near large rivers and dams where water remains open.

The Alaska Bald Eagle is considerably larger than its southern relatives. In northern areas, the main food of these birds is salmon, which is very nutritious. Southern populations consume smaller fish and often have to feed on mice, hamsters and carrion. Southern populations of the Bald Eagle don’t have to migrate in winter. They hunt in the same home range for years. Northern Bald Eagles migrate not because they are afraid of cold, but because they have to find new food supplies.

Alaska Bald Eagle population has a complex migratory pattern. Some of them migrate southwards; others move to large rivers with dams. The average speed of a migrating Bald Eagle is about 30 miles per hour, but their speed and directions depend much on the wind. Bald Eagles don’t fly in the precise sense, they glide and soar. First, the eagle catches a column of warm rising air generated by a warm terrain (valley edges or mountain slopes.) Then, the eagle circles to a high altitude and glides in the general direction of its migration till it finds the next rising column.  

The Alaska Bald Eagle population has suffered greatly from humans in the 20th century. Hunters killed these raptors in large numbers, competing with them for salmon and other prey. Actually, Bald Eagles are not a threat to the salmon population. Humans kill much more fish and animals that are needed for the survival of all carnivores. Raptors and other carnivores cull out the weakest individuals and keep the population of their prey genetically healthy. Humans usually kill the best animals when hunting. Nowadays, after effective conservation measures, the Alaska Bald Eagle population is upgraded from the endangered status to threatened.