 Majestic Eagles |
Majestic Eagles |
August 17, 2010Arcticulates ®Focusing on Alaska's BeautyAuthor: K. FieldsMajestic EaglesBeautiful majestic Eagles are one thing that Alaska has plenty of, there are two varieties here in Alaska, both are used as national symbols to many nations. The Bald Eagle which is pictured on the 'Great Seal' of United States of America, and the Golden Eagle which I have been told is a immature Bald Eagle... Since I question the validity of that information. I have done some research because I would like to know the truth and would like to be able to share true facts with all whom may be reading this! So this is what I have discovered. According to Alaska's Fish and Game, the The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) are two distinctly different species of Eagles. Bald Eagle: Bring it!
I have listed here two pages that verify what I always thought, which is... they are two different species of Eagles: Alaska's Fish and Game: Information On Bald Eagles in Alaska and Avianweb: Eagle Information Here is a website that clears up this misunderstand. It seems the immature Bald Eagle looks like the Golden Eagle except for the plummage on the legs. "A Golden Eagle's legs are entirely feather covered; an immature Bald Eagle's lower legs are bare" according to: Bald Eagle Information So that explains why I have been told that the Golden Eagle is a immature Bald Eagle... Because they look so similiar when they are both young. So you have read it here! That rumor is false! Bald Eagle: Did I Hear You Right?
Photo by: Richard Mitchell Famous Eagle Quotes: Like a young Eagle, who has lent his plume To fledge the shaft by which he meets his doom, See their own feathers pluck'd to wing the dart Which rank corruption destines for their heart. Thomas Moore Corruption The haft of the arrow had been feathered with one of the Eagle's own plumes. We often give our enemies the means of our own destruction. Aesop The Eagle and the Arrow Yet spirit immortal, the tomb can not bind thee, But like thine own Eagle that soars to the sun Thou springest from bondage and leavest behind thee A name which before thee no mortal hath won. Lyman Heath The Grave of Bonaparte I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country; he is a bird of bad moral character; like those among men who live by sharking and robbing, he is generally poor, and often very lousy. The Turkey is a much more respectable bird. Benjamin Franklin letter to Sarah Bache (January 26, 1784) And thus among these rocks he lived, Through summer heat and winter snow: The Eagle, he was lord above, And Rob was lord below. William Wordsworth Rob Roy's Grave Yawn, Stretch, Try to Come Alive
Photo by: Richard Mitchell It's a well known fact that most Eagles have excellent vision, they have the keenest sharpest sight of any animal hence the saying "Eagle eyes". Thier eyes are quite large which explains to me why they seem to have such a commanding stare. I have learned that humans have 200,000 light-sensitive cells per square millimeter of retina, whereas Eagles have a million. Also, people see three basic colors, where Eagles see five (I am wondering how that was figured out) which helps them pick out prey that has been camouflaged with the things around it very easily. Most Eagles are able to see a dangerous situation way before they fly into it, thereby able to avoid them. There have been studies where is seems that some Eagles can spot prey the size of a rabbit up to two miles away. Which explains why I have seen Eagles swoop down from seemingly nowhere and grab up a small rodent or rabbit and fly off without stopping. Praying Bald Eagle
Photo by: Richard Mitchell Religious uses: The Eagle is considered a sacred bird in some cultures. The Feathers of the Eagle are a main focal point in many religious and spiritual customs, expecially the Native Americans in the United States and the First Nations in Canada. Eagle feathers are used often in a variety of ceremonies and are used as a symbol of honor to noteworthy achievements and qualities, for instance: exceptional leadership and bravery. The Christian Bible uses the Eagle as an example of keen insight, strength, protection, and the freedom. And in some Christian circles the Eagle is known to be the symbol of a prophet. The Moche people of ancient Peru worshiped and often depicted Eagles in their art. Despite modern and historic Native American practices of giving Eagle feathers to non-indigenous people and also members of other tribes who have been deemed worthy, according to a current United States' Eagle feather law, only "individuals of certifiable Native American ancestry enrolled in a Federally recognized Tribe are legally authorized to obtain Eagle feathers for religious or spiritual reasons". Bald Eagle Balancing Act
Photo by: Richard Mitchell In 1967 Bald Eagles were officially decared as an endangered species in all areas of the United States south of the 40th parallel. Until 1995, the Bald Eagle had been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 43 of the 48 lower states. In July of 1995, the US Fish and Wildlife Service upgraded the status of Bald Eagles in the lower 48 states to "threatened." On June 28, 2007 the Interior Department took the American Bald Eagle off the Endangered Species List. They will still be protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The Bald Eagle Protection Act prohibits the take, transport, sale, barter, trade, import and export, and possession of Eagles, making it illegal for anyone (with the exception of Native Americans' cultural uses) to collect Eagles and Eagle parts, nests, or eggs without a permit. The Bald Eagle is Landing
Photo by: Richard Mitchell Eagles that soar tend to do poorly at taking off and landing. So they often hang from high perches, for instance, extremely tall trees or cliffs, where they can literally 'fall' into the air and then swoop down catching unaware fish and mammals. They are famous for soaring high into the sky,'which when I see them I feel that they own the sky, and this high flying soaring is an efficient way of covering ground - which using thier 'Eagle eye' they can easily see thier prey, without being noticed. Bald Eagle in Flight
Photo by: Richard Mitchell Defending thier territory and to attract a mate, soaring Eagles are breathtaking to watch as they put on spectacular aerial displays of death-defying swoops and dogfights where they hit thier rival in mid-air, locking talons with another bird and free-falling in a spiral to the Earth. The great American poet Walt Whitman, witnessing one of these breathtaking displays by Bald Eagles, described it as “a living, fierce, gyrating wheel, four beating wings, two beaks, a swirling mass of tight grappling, in tumbling turning clustering loops, straight downward falling.” Usually they separate as they near the ground but there are times when this free-falling feat ends when they crash into a tree, or occasionaly they hit the ground ending with a extremely rare possiblity of one dying. I have seen Eagles doing this.. It is scary yet exhilarating at the same time. And both times I have witnessed this happening I didn't have a camera. Double Drats! If you are interested in finding out what is being done to conserve and protect the beautiful majestic Eagles check out this link: Eagle Conservation Alliance Website Later... K Fields See Also: Magnificent Eagles!
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