Eagle bird. Lifestyle and habitat of the eagle. Habitats, geography

Russian name- Bald Eagle

Latin name- Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Squad- falconiformes

Family- hawks

The bald eagle was recognized as the national bird of the United States in 1782, and since then its image has appeared on the state emblem, presidential standard, banknotes and other government papers and documents.

Conservation status

The bald eagle has been protected in the United States since 1940. One of two existing subspecies, H.l. leucocephalus (it is called nominal), is included in the IUCN Red List.

Species and man

Despite its “state” status and legislative protection, the number of bald eagle in the 19th and 20th centuries. decreased sharply. The main reasons for this were mass extermination and human economic activity. The most dangerous thing for the eagle (as, indeed, for all other species of birds of prey) was the widespread use of DDT and other insecticides that had a negative effect on reproductive productivity (a large number of eggs laid by eagles died during incubation). The ban on the use of insecticides has led to a gradual recovery in the bald eagle population, and its existence in the wild is now out of danger. The United States currently has laws against killing or keeping live bald eagles in captivity without special permission.

Among most Indian tribes, the bald eagle was considered a sacred bird, a mediator between earthly people and the heavenly Great Spirit - the creator of the Universe. Myths and rituals were dedicated to him; clothes and hats were decorated with his feathers. Numerous images of the eagle can still be found on household utensils, dishes, baskets, as well as on totem (sacred) poles and burial grounds.

Spreading

The bald eagle lives in Canada, the United States and some areas of northern Mexico. Its distribution is characterized by extreme unevenness, with the largest number of nesting pairs concentrated on sea coasts and near large rivers and lakes.

Until the end of the twentieth century. The bald eagle has occasionally been spotted in the Russian Far East, but these were always only occasional visits with no signs of nesting.

Populations of sea eagles living on the sea or ocean coast lead a sedentary lifestyle, while populations living along the shores of inland frozen water bodies undergo regular winter migrations.

Appearance

The bald eagle is one of the largest birds of prey in North America. The total length reaches 70-120 cm, wingspan 180-230 cm, weight - 3-6.3 kg. Females are approximately ¼ larger than males. Birds living in the northern part of their range are noticeably larger than those living further south.

The beak is large, hook-shaped, and in adult birds it is golden-yellow in color. The legs are also yellow, and the tarsus and toes are devoid of feathers. The fingers are long, about 15 cm, with sharp claws. The eagle holds the prey with its front fingers, and with the talon of its back finger it kills it.

The coloring of adult birds looks contrasting and very impressive - a dark brown body and a pure white head. But eagles acquire this plumage only at the age of 5, approaching adult plumage with each molt. Sexual dimorphism is manifested only in size.

Nutrition and feeding behavior

Of all the available food, the bald eagle prefers fish, both live and dead. In second place in importance are aquatic and semi-aquatic birds. When there is a shortage or inaccessibility of fish, birds can form the basis of nutrition, and their content in the diet of eagles increases from 7-10% to 80%. The most dangerous predation of eagles is for bird colonies, where adult birds, chicks, and eggs become their easy prey. Among mammals, bald eagles can hunt medium-sized land animals, and in some places, seal pups. On average, the bald eagle's diet consists of 56% fish, 28% birds, and 14% mammals.

Activity

Like most birds of prey, eagles are active during the daytime. (it’s not for nothing that another name for Falconiformes is diurnal birds of prey).

Vocalization

The bald eagle's voice is surprisingly weak and quiet - it is either a high-pitched screech or a whistle. Young birds have a harsher and rougher voice. Adult eagles can most often be heard during the “changing of the guard” at the nest during incubation, as well as in places where birds gather in large numbers during the winter.

Social behavior

The social behavior of the bald eagle is not very complex and is similar to that of other species of eagles. Their pairs are constant, but outside the nesting period the birds lead a solitary lifestyle. The pair connects only during the nesting period.

During winter migrations, a certain number of eagles may gather together in one place, but no strict hierarchy is observed between them.

Reproduction and parental behavior

The breeding season of bald eagles begins with amazingly beautiful display flights of both birds, during which they chase each other, make deep dives in the air and turn upside down.

The pair then settles in their nesting area. The area they protect around the nest is approximately 1-2 square meters. km, but may be more or less depending on the number of neighboring pairs and the availability of prey available.

Nest construction begins in different states of the United States at different times, from late September to January, but always earlier than other birds of prey in the area. The nest of bald eagles is built from large branches and twigs and is located in the crown of a tall living tree with the possibility of free approach of such large birds and no further than 1-2 km from the water. Among American ornithologists, there is an opinion that the bald eagle's nest is the largest among all birds in North America: it can reach a diameter of 2.5 m and 4 m in height, and weigh about 1 ton. Eagles fasten the main branch frame with grass, dry corn stalks or dry seaweed. Building a nest or renovating it takes from several days to 3 months. Both parents participate in this work, but more often the male only brings building material, and the female lays it in the nest. In addition to the main nest, there may be several spare ones on the site of each pair.

Laying occurs 1-3 months after the start of nest construction. The clutch usually contains 2 large light-colored eggs (from 1 to 3), which are laid at intervals of 1 or 2 days. Incubation lasts about 35 days and begins with the first egg. The female incubates mainly, the male only occasionally replaces her. The chicks appear in the same sequence as the eggs were laid, so the second chick turns out to be 1 or 2 years younger than the first. This difference is quite enough for this younger and weaker chick to be constantly attacked by the older one and experience a lack of food. As a result of such competition for food, the youngest chick most often dies from starvation. It is noteworthy that the parents do not react in any way to this antagonistic relationship between the chicks.

During the first 5-6 weeks of the chicks' lives, one of the parents is constantly in the nest (most often the female), and then the adults leave the nest and stay somewhere nearby. The chicks can tear up the food they bring themselves. After 10-12 weeks, the chicks try to make their first flights, although not always successful. Even having already learned to fly, young eagles remain on their parents’ territory for quite a long time (several weeks).

Typically, each pair produces no more than one chick.

Lifespan

In nature, bald eagles live up to 18-20 years, in captivity - longer, up to about 36 years.

The story of life at the Moscow Zoo

Now in our zoo, bald eagles are kept both on display in the “Birds of Prey Rock” enclosure on the Old Territory, and in the nursery, where the pair has been breeding regularly since 2010. So far, only one female is kept on display.

The daily diet of bald eagles (as well as the other 2 species of eagles) includes 700-800 g of meat, 200-800 g of fish (depending on the time of year) and 1 rat.

Speaking about birds of prey, one cannot help but admire their strength, speed, agility and keen eyesight. They soar in the sky above forests, fields, rivers, lakes and seas, striking with their size and power. In addition to appearance, these birds have many advantages, and today we’ll talk in more detail about one of the representatives of the hawks - eagle.

Appearance of an eagle

Orlan belongs to the subfamily of buzzards, translated from Greek, its name means sea. Like all representatives of the species, eagle a large bird with a body length of 75-100 centimeters, wingspan up to 2.5 meters and weighing 3-7 kg.

It is noteworthy that the “northern” species are larger than the “southern” ones. Tail and eagle wings wide. The birds have strong legs with sharp curved claws; the long (about 15 cm) fingers have small projections to make it more convenient to hold prey, especially slippery fish.

The tarsus is naked, without feathers. The massive beak is curved and yellow. Superciliary arches protrude above the keen eyes of yellow color, because of which it seems that the bird is frowning.

Pictured is a white-tailed eagle

The color of the plumage is predominantly brown; white inserts are located differently in different species. The head, shoulders, body or tail may be white. Sexual dimorphism is not very pronounced; in a pair, the female can be distinguished by its larger size.

Eagle Habitat

These birds of prey are quite widespread, almost everywhere except Antarctica and South America. 4 species of eagles are found in Russia. The most common is the white-tailed eagle, which lives almost everywhere where there are fresh or salt water bodies. The steppe species, living mainly from the Caspian Sea to Transbaikalia, include the long-tailed eagle. Steller's sea eagle found mainly on the Pacific coast.

Pictured is a Steller's sea eagle

Bald Eagle lives in North America, sometimes flying to the Pacific coast, it is considered symbol USA and is depicted on the coat of arms and other state signs.

Pictured is a bald eagle

The screaming eagle lives in southern Africa and is the national bird of some countries there. The largest habitats are located in the lower reaches of the Volga and in the Far East, since these places are rich in fish - the main food of these predators.

All eagles settle near large bodies of water, on the shores of seas, estuaries, rivers, and lakes. They try not to fly into the very depths of the land. They rarely migrate, but if the reservoirs in which they get food freeze, the birds fly closer to the south for the winter.

Each pair has its own territory, which they occupy for years. Usually this is at least 10 hectares of water surface. On their section of the coast they build a nest, live, feed and raise chicks. Eagles usually spend their resting hours in mixed forest.

Pictured is a screaming eagle

Character and lifestyle of the eagle

This is due not only to a good appetite, but also to the fact that the eagle cannot hold smaller fish with its long claws. The predator also feeds on birds that live near bodies of water -,.

Small mammals are also included in the menu, these are,. The eagle can also catch various crustaceans and others, but they interest him in much smaller quantities.

Carrion is also suitable for food, birds will not disdain fish, carcasses of various animals washed ashore. Moreover, as a large predator, the eagle considers it not shameful to take prey from smaller and weaker hunters, or even steal from its own unwary brothers.

The eagle prefers to hunt in shallow water, in places where there are the most fish and it is not difficult to get them. Having noticed the victim, the bird falls down like a stone, grabs the prey and rises into the air with it.

Feathers do not get wet during such a hunt. Sometimes a predator simply walks on the water, pecking at small fish from there. But more often the prey is quite large; the eagle is able to hold a weight of up to 3 kg. If the weight turns out to be too heavy, the predator can swim with it to the shore, where it will have a safe lunch.

Sometimes a pair of eagles hunt together, especially larger and faster mammals and birds. One of the predators distracts the prey, and the second unexpectedly attacks. The eagle can catch smaller birds right in the air. If the prey is large, the predator tries to fly up to it from below and, turning over, pierce the chest with its claws.

The eagle forces waterfowl to dive by circling over them and scaring them. When the duck gets tired and weak, it will be easy to catch and drag it ashore. During a meal, the eagle presses food to tree branches or to the ground with one leg, and tears off pieces of meat with the other and its beak.

Usually, if there are several around, then the more successful hunter tries to retire, because his hungry ones may well force him to share. Large prey lasts a long time for an eagle; about one kilogram of food can remain in the crop, providing the bird with food for several days.

Reproduction and lifespan of an eagle

Like other birds of this species, eagles are monogamous. But if one dies, the second finds a replacement. The same thing happens if the “family” turns out to be unable to produce offspring. A pair is formed at a young age; this can happen both in the spring and during the winter. The breeding season begins in March-April. Eagles in love circle in the sky, locking talons and diving sharply.

The photo shows a white-tailed eagle's nest

Having tuned in to the right mood, future parents begin to build a nest, or, if the couple is old, restore last year’s nest. The male provides the female with building materials, which she lays. Eagles nest very large, usually about a meter in diameter and up to a ton in weight.

Birds place such a heavy structure on an old, dry tree, or on a separate rock. The main thing is that the support can withstand, and various land predators cannot reach the eggs and chicks.

After 1-3 days, the female lays 1-3 white, dull eggs. The clutch is incubated by the expectant mother for 34-38 days. The hatched babies are completely helpless, and their parents feed them with thin fibers of meat and fish.

Pictured are eagle chicks

Usually only the strongest chick survives. After 3 months, the young begin to fly out of the nest, but for another 1-2 months they stay close to their parents. Only by the age of 4 years do eagles become sexually mature. But this is normal, considering that these birds live for about 20 years.

Indians honor the bald eagle as a divine bird, calling it a mediator between people and the Great Spirit who created the Universe. Legends are composed in his honor and rituals are dedicated, depicted on helmets, pillars, shields, clothes and utensils. The symbol of the Iroquois tribe is an eagle perched on a pine tree.

Appearance, description of the eagle

The world learned about the bald eagle in 1766 from the scientific work of Carl Linnaeus. The naturalist gave the bird the Latin name Falco leucocephalus, assigning it to the falcon family.

The French biologist Jules Savigny disagreed with the Swede, in 1809 he included the bald eagle in the genus Haliaeetus, which previously consisted only of the white-tailed eagle.

There are now two known subspecies of sea eagle, distinguished solely by size. This is one of the most representative birds of prey in the vastness of North America: only the white-tailed eagle is larger than it.

Male bald eagle individuals are noticeably smaller in size than their partners. Birds weigh from 3 to 6.5 kg, grow to 0.7-1.2 m with a 2-meter (and sometimes more) span of wide, rounded wings.

This is interesting! The eagle's legs are devoid of feathers and are painted (like the hook-shaped beak) golden yellow.

It may seem that the bird is frowning: this effect is created by growths on the eyebrows. Contrasting with the frightening appearance of the eagle is its weak voice, which manifests itself as a whistle or high-pitched screech.

Strong fingers grow up to 15 cm, ending in sharp claws. The rear claw acts like an awl, piercing the victim's vital organs, while the front claws prevent it from escaping.

The feather vestment of an eagle takes on a complete form after 5 years. At this age, the bird can already be distinguished by its white head and tail (wedge-shaped) against the general dark brown background of the plumage.

Living in the wild

The bald eagle cannot live far from water. A natural body of water (lake, river, estuary or sea) should be located 200-2000 meters from the nesting site.

Habitats, geography

The eagle chooses coniferous forests or hard-leaved groves for nesting/resting, and when deciding on a body of water, it proceeds from the “assortment” and quantity of game.

The species' range extends to the USA and Canada, fragmentarily covering Mexico (northern states).

This is interesting! In June 1782, the bald eagle became the official emblem of the United States of America. Benjamin Franklin, who insisted on choosing the bird, later regretted it, citing its “bad moral character.” He meant the eagle's love for carrion and its tendency to take prey from other predators.

The eagle is seen on the islands of Miquelon and Saint-Pierre, which belong to the French Republic. Nesting sites are “scattered” extremely unevenly: their clusters are located on sea coasts, as well as coastal zones of lakes and rivers.

Occasionally, bald eagles enter the US Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Ireland, Belize and Puerto Rico. Eagles have been repeatedly spotted in our Far East.

Bald Eagle Lifestyle

The bald eagle is one of the rare feathered predators capable of creating mass aggregations. Hundreds and even thousands of eagles gather where there is a lot of food: close to hydroelectric power stations or in areas of mass mortality of livestock.

When a body of water freezes, birds leave it, rushing south, including to the warm sea shores. Adult eagles can remain in their native areas if the coastal zone is not covered with ice, which allows them to fish.

This is interesting! In its natural environment, a bald eagle lives from 15 to 20 years. It is known that one (banded in childhood) eagle lived to almost 33 years. In favorable artificial conditions, for example, in aviaries, these birds live for more than 40 years.

Diet, nutrition

The bald eagle's menu is dominated by fish and, much less often, small game. He does not hesitate to take the prey of other predators and does not disdain carrion.

As a result of research, it turned out that the eagle’s diet looks something like this:

• Fish – 56%.
• Poultry – 28%.
• Mammals – 14%.
• Other animals – 2%.

The last position is represented by reptiles, primarily turtles.

On the Pacific islands, eagles chase sea otters, as well as seal and sea lion pups. Birds prey on muskrats, rabbits, ground squirrels, raccoons, hares, squirrels, rats and young beavers. It costs an eagle nothing to kill a small sheep or other domestic animal.

The eagle prefers to take birds by surprise on land or on water, but can also catch them in flight. So, the predator flies up to the goose from below and, turning over, grabs its chest with its claws. In pursuit of a hare or heron, eagles form a temporary alliance in which one of them distracts the object, and the second attacks from the rear.

The bird tracks fish, its main prey, in shallow water: like an osprey, the eagle looks at its prey from above and dives at it at a speed of 120–160 km/h, capturing it with its tenacious talons. At the same time, the hunter tries not to get his feathers wet, but this does not always work. The eagle eats both freshly caught and dead fish.

By winter, when water bodies freeze, the share of carrion in the bird's menu increases significantly. Eagles circle around the carcasses of large and medium-sized mammals, such as:

• reindeer;
• moose;
• bison;
• wolves;
• rams;
• cows;
• arctic foxes and others.

Smaller scavengers (foxes and coyotes) cannot compete with adult eagles in the fight for carcasses, but they are able to drive away immature ones.

Young eagles find another way out - not knowing how to hunt live game, they not only take prey from small birds of prey (hawks, crows and seagulls), but also kill those they have robbed.

The bald eagle does not hesitate to pick up food scraps in landfills or food scraps near campsites.

The main enemies of birds

If we do not take humans into account, the list of natural enemies of the eagle should include the great eagle owl and the raccoon: these animals do not harm adult individuals, but threaten the offspring of eagles, destroying eggs and chicks.

The danger also comes from arctic foxes, but only when the nest is built on the surface of the ground. Ravens can disturb eagles while their chicks are hatching, without, however, going so far as to destroy the nests themselves.

This is interesting! The Indians made whistles for warriors and tools for expelling illnesses from eagle bones, and jewelry and amulets from bird claws. An Ojibwe Indian could receive a feather for special merit, such as scalping or capturing an enemy. Feathers, symbolizing glory and strength, were kept in the tribe, passed down by inheritance.

Bald Eagle Reproduction

Birds reach fertile age no earlier than four, sometimes six to seven years. Like many hawks, bald eagles are monogamous. Their union breaks up only in two cases: if the couple has no children or one of the birds does not return from the south.

The mating union is considered sealed when the eagles begin to build a nest - a large-scale structure of twigs and branches, placed on the top of a tall tree.

This structure (weighing a ton) exceeds the dimensions of the nests of all North American birds, reaching 4 m in height and 2.5 m in diameter. The construction of the nest, which is carried out by both parents, lasts from a week to 3 months, but the branches are usually laid by the partner.

At the right time (with an interval of one or two days), she lays 1-3 eggs, less often four. If the clutch is destroyed, the eggs are laid again. Incubation, entrusted mainly to the female, takes 35 days. She is only occasionally replaced by a partner, whose task is to search for food.

The chicks have to fight for food: it is not surprising that the younger ones die. When the chicks are 5-6 weeks old, the parents fly away from the nest, watching the children from a nearby branch. At this age, babies already know how to jump from branch to branch and tear meat into pieces, and after 10-12.5 weeks they begin to fly.

Number, population

Before Europeans settled North America, 250-500 thousand bald eagles lived here (according to ornithologists). The settlers not only changed the landscape, but also shamelessly shot birds, seduced by their beautiful plumage.

The emergence of new settlements led to a decrease in water supplies where eagles fished. Farmers killed eagles purposefully, avenging them for the theft of domestic sheep/chickens, and for fish, which the villagers did not want to share with the birds.

Thallium sulfate and strychnine were also used: they were sprinkled on livestock carcasses, protecting them from wolves, eagles and coyotes. The eagle population has declined so much that the bird has almost disappeared in the United States, remaining only in Alaska.

This is interesting! In 1940, Franklin Roosevelt was forced to pass the Bald Eagle Conservation Act. When World War II ended, the number of the species was estimated at 50 thousand individuals.

The Orlans were faced with a new misfortune, the toxic chemical DDT, which was used in the battle against harmful insects. The drug did not harm adult eagles, but affected the shells of eggs, which cracked during incubation.

Thanks to DDT, by 1963 there were only 487 bird pairs in the United States. After the insecticide was banned, the population began to recover. Now the bald eagle (according to the international Red Book) is classified as a species of minimal concern.

The bald eagle is a large predator of the hawk family, easily recognizable by its snow-white head plumage. This bird is the oldest representative of the avifauna of North America, as evidenced by fossil remains discovered in one of the Colorado caves. According to scientists, their age is about 670 thousand years.

Today the bald eagle is a numerous, widespread species, but this was not always the case. The centuries-old history of birds is full of significant and tragic events.

Bald eagle on the hunt.

Bald eagle on the hunt.

"The Ups and Downs" of the Bald Eagle

The indigenous population of the North American continent revered the bald eagle as a sacred bird; beautiful legends were composed about it, images were painted on totem poles and gravestones. Bird feathers adorned the headdresses of Indians of many tribes, symbolizing strength and honor, amulets made from claws protected and brought good luck.

According to experts, before the discovery of America by Europeans, the population of the bald eagle was about half a million individuals. In the 18th century, the birds gained incredible popularity among the new owners of the continent; their formidable and majestic appearance did not go unnoticed by the founding fathers, and in 1872 the bald eagle became the official symbol of the country. The proud profile of the predator appears on the Great Seal, coins, flags and other attributes of state power.

The first settlers began exterminating bald eagles out of purely sporting interest, but until the 20th century the bird population remained relatively safe. After World War II, predators were considered pests, stealing farm animals and eating too many fish, and there was a monetary reward for their shooting. The population size was then estimated at 50 thousand individuals, and the active use of the insecticide DDT brought the bald eagle to the brink of survival.

John Kennedy spoke out in defense of the birds, and in 1963, an official population count produced a sad result: only 487 breeding pairs were found in 48 states. As protective measures, a ban was introduced on the use of DDT, shooting and unofficial possession of birds, their status was assessed as endangered.

It was only in 1995 that the state of the bald eagle population was recognized as vulnerable, and in 2007 the species was considered not to be of concern. Today, birds are still protected by the state, and their stylized images are used especially actively to emphasize the American origin of the brand.

Bald eagle: portrait.

Bald eagle: portrait.

What does a bald eagle look like?

The bald eagle has a characteristic eagle-like appearance, and although it is considered one of the largest predators in North America, it is inferior in size to its closely related species - the white-tailed eagle and the largest representative of the hawks - the golden eagle.

The height of an adult bird, including the tail, ranges from 70 to 120 cm, weight reaches 3-6.3 kg. Externally, individuals of both sexes look the same, but females are a quarter larger than males, so it is almost impossible to determine the sex of the bird in a photo of a bald eagle.

Predators have a massive, hooked beak of golden yellow color, slightly flattened laterally, with a noticeably curved ridge and a straight mandible. The eyes are large, with yellow irises, visual acuity is 8 times greater than that of humans. The strongly protruding brow ridges give the birds a characteristic frowning expression.

The tail of the bald eagle is wedge-shaped and of medium length. The strong, strong legs of predators are completely devoid of feathers and are colored in the color of the beak. Long, up to 15 cm, fingers are armed with sharp, strong claws. The front fingers are designed to hold prey, and the rear finger with a particularly long claw is used to pierce the victim. The fingers are equipped with special bone spines - spicules, which help to firmly hold prey.

The main color of the plumage of adult predators is dark brown, almost black, sharply contrasting with the white head and tail. This is what birds look like in their sixth year of life, but at an earlier age only an ornithologist can identify a bald eagle.

Bald eagle in flight.

Bald eagle in flight, front view.

A bald eagle takes off from a tree branch.

A bald eagle prepares to attack a fish.

Bald eagle: photo from the back.

Age metamorphoses

The bodies of newly hatched chicks are unevenly covered with grayish-white down, through which pink skin shines through. 3 weeks after birth, the skin of the chicks becomes bluish, and the legs become noticeably yellow.

The first real plumage of the young is monochromatic, chocolate brown, only white spots stand out on the shoulders and the inner surface of the wing. The beak and iris of the eyes of birds of the first year of life are also dark brown.

Bald eagles 2-3 years old, thanks to the many white markings all over their bodies, become especially colorful and are still completely different from their parents. The brown color of the eyes gradually gives way to gray, then turns yellow, and the beak also becomes yellowish.

In the fourth year of life, birds begin to develop adult coloration: the head and tail become noticeably lighter, and the body darkens, with a clear boundary formed between them. From 3.5 to 5 years, the young age of the predator is indicated only by dark spots under the eyes, which disappear by the age of 6.

Juvenile bald eagle: coloration not yet like that of an adult bird.

A juvenile bald eagle with a caught fish.

Bald eagles: adult bird (left) with juvenile (right).

An adult bald eagle (left) confronts a juvenile (right).

How to distinguish a bald eagle from similar species

The most similar plumage color is that of the screaming eagle, an inhabitant of Africa, but its white color from the head extends down the neck and further to the upper chest and back.

A young bald eagle, with its mottled black and white plumage, can be mistaken for a golden eagle, but it has a shorter neck and legs covered in feathers right up to the tarsus. Young golden eagles have white markings only at the base of their wings and tail, while young eagles are completely covered in white spots. And if the wingspan of adult representatives of the species is almost the same, then the bald eagle and the golden eagle soar in completely different ways.

Bald Eagle Wingspan

The photo of a bald eagle shows how wide and rounded the bird’s wings are. Their flight span ranges from 180 to 230 cm, which is 10 cm less than that of the golden eagle. It is very easy to distinguish between a soaring sea eagle and a golden eagle: the eagle holds its open wings parallel to its body, and the golden eagle lifts it above its body and extends it forward in a V-shape.

The flapping flight of a bald eagle is measured with deep beats of its huge wings, its speed is about 70 km/h. In a diving flight, birds accelerate to 120-160 km/h, significantly inferior to the golden eagle, which attacks prey at speeds of up to 320 km/h.

Bald eagle range

The bird's habitat covers the United States, Canada and some northern states of Mexico. Predator nests have also been spotted on the Atlantic islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, which are owned by France.

Occasional appearances of bald eagles are noted in the Far Eastern region of Russia. At first, the birds were noticed on the Commander Islands, later on Bering Island, in the southeast of Kamchatka, in particular on Kuril Lake.

Rare bird migrations have been observed in Bermuda, the Caribbean islands, Belize, Puerto Rico and Ireland.

Bald eagles sort things out.

Bald Eagle Lifestyle

The inhabitants of the southern states, such as California and Florida, live sedentary lives; from colder regions, birds migrate south to the coasts for the winter. During seasonal migrations, bald eagles gather in large groups, sometimes up to a thousand individuals, which is not typical for other feathered predators.

The favorite biotopes of birds are always located near the sea, bay, large lake or wide river. The richer the ichthyofauna of a reservoir, the higher the population density of bald eagles. Resting and nesting areas are usually located in the nearest forest, no further than 200 - 3000 m from the water.

A bald eagle moments before attack.

Three bald eagles on a dry fallen tree trunk.

Bald eagles: male and female.

Bald eagle and snow.

A bald eagle attacks a heron, which has opened its wings and is preparing for defense.

Diet features

All eagles are known ichthyophages; the lion's share of their diet is fish. Depending on the habitat, these can be Pacific salmon species, herring, sand lance, representatives of the catfish order, mullet, trout, pike, perch and other types of medium-sized fish.

The second place in the diet of predators is occupied by waterfowl and semi-aquatic birds: ducks, geese, mallards, grebes, gulls, cranes, pelicans, herons, terns, cormorants, guillemots and other feathered inhabitants of coastal waters.

A small part of the main diet consists of small mammals: beavers, musk rats, raccoons, squirrels, ground squirrels, hares and rabbits. Along with the golden eagle, the bald eagle can hunt small livestock, such as young sheep, but these are isolated cases because predators avoid human settlements. In the Pacific Islands, there have been cases of bald eagles attacking seal and sea lion pups.

Predators do not disdain carrion: dead fish, corpses of large animals, leftover food after picnics, garbage in landfills.

Foraging methods

Highly artistic photos of a bald eagle on the hunt show its eerie and cruel methods of obtaining food. The predator's hunting skills are similar to those of the osprey, but unlike the latter, the eagle grabs fish at the very surface of the water without wetting its feathers, and the osprey dives under the water for its prey. The eagle looks out for prey from above, quickly dives and grabs it with a death grip. Sometimes predators wander into shallow water, pecking at the fry.

An eagle can grab a flying bird from below, turning over and grabbing the victim’s stomach with its claws. The predator exhausts diving birds and animals with methodical attacks until they are no longer able to hide under water. Sometimes there are cases of collective hunting by a pair of predators, where one makes a diversionary maneuver, and the other attacks from the rear.

In order not to share with relatives, the bald eagle eats the caught and killed prey in a secluded place; it can store approximately 1 kg of food in its crop, consuming it when it gets hungry.

With the onset of cold weather, when it is already difficult to fish, predators become especially active scavengers, driving away their main competitors - vultures, crows, foxes and even coyotes - from the corpses of large animals. Unlike the golden eagle, the bald eagle never engages in combat with an opponent that is superior in strength.

A bald eagle stole prey from a wolf.

The feeding territory of a pair of predators ranges from 2.6 to 648 km 2 and during the mating season the birds become especially territorial.

A bald eagle hunts fish.

A bald eagle glides over the water while hunting.

Bald eagle on the hunt.

Bald Eagle Reproduction

These predators are monogamous and remain marital fidelity all their lives, even during wintering they stay close and can build a nest, although they do not reproduce.

Bald eagles reach reproductive age at 4-7 years. Mutual courtship is expressed in intricate flights, when the birds race with somersaults in the air, lock their claws and spin beautifully, falling down, scattering right above the ground. Then the male and female sit on a tree and rub their beaks.

A bald eagle feeds its chicks.

Bald eagle with chick.

The nest is built in the crown of a free-standing massive tree. Strong branches, corn stalks and dry grass are used for construction. The couple uses the nest for many years, renovating and adding to it. The Guinness Book of Records includes a nest of bald eagles built near the city of St. Petersburg in Florida. By 1963, the diameter of the nest was 2.9 m, the height reached 6 m, and the weight exceeded 2 tons.

The female lays from 1 to 3 white matte eggs weighing from 114 to 130 g. The female incubates, the male is engaged in obtaining food. After 35 days of incubation, the chicks hatch one after another. Fierce competition for food often ends in the death of the weaker.

At the age of 5-6 weeks, the chicks already know how to tear the meat brought by their parents and jump on branches. The first flight of a bald eagle occurs at the age of 10-12 weeks and often ends in failure: the chick falls and remains on the ground under the protection of its parents until it learns to fly. The chicks, capable of flight, do not stay near their parents for long, and then begin to lead an independent life. About half of bald eagles breed twice per season.

Top predators have virtually no natural enemies, and many bald eagles live happily for about 15-20 years. In captivity, their life expectancy increases to 36-47 years.

Hardware and software complexes “Orlan”, “Orlan-M”, “Orlan-R” (hereinafter referred to as complexes) are designed to measure current time values ​​synchronized with the national time scale of the Russian Federation UTS (SU).

Description

The complexes are made in a metal case with organic glass inserts. Inside the case there are: a digital television camera with IR illumination with a resolution of at least 2 megapixels, an electronic time synchronization unit, a GPS/GLONASS receiver, a computer based on an Intel processor with an SSD data drive with installed Windows/Linux OS and utility software, as well as a heating control relay , cooling, battery charging, sensors (temperature, humidity, magnetic field), GSM module, air heater, fans, power supply (220 V AC, 12 V DC), auxiliary components and external interfaces.

The principle of operation of the complexes is as follows. The software allows you to set camera parameters, such as exposure duration, operation using an external TRIG signal, gain level, and others. Next, the time synchronizer board is polled to determine whether the time value is reliable or not; if not, the poll is repeated until the time values ​​become reliable. The software provides a frame capture request to the time synchronizer board. The time synchronizer generates a positive edge of the TRIG signal, and also fixes the value of the internal clock at this moment. This value, as well as the time reliability flag, are sent to the computer and processed by the software. The camera captures a frame using the TRIG signal and also sends the frame to the computer. The software provides reception of the frame time stamp from the synchronizer board and the frame from the television camera. If the time stamp contains reliable time, the frame is recognized as containing reliable time with the time applied to the image with an error in synchronizing the internal time scale via GNSS channels ±1 ms relative to the time stamp in the frame, the frame is transferred for further processing or sending to the user. The time synchronizer performs continuous synchronization of the internal clock using a GNSS signal (GPS and/or GLONASS), as well as self-testing. If the GNSS signal is lost or the self-test fails, the time value is considered invalid.

When the Orlan complex enters operating mode, camera frames with the actual date and time of the start of the exposure (year, month, day, hour, minute, second, millisecond) are displayed on the complex screen and in the remote control software, as well as the word “OK” or "READY".

The complexes are made in three modifications - the mobile "Orlan-M", the special "Orlan-R" and the stationary "Orlan". The main difference between the modifications is the appearance of the case and the delivery package; the metrological characteristics are the same.

Software

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Orlan complexes contain built-in software that ensures their operation, reception and transmission of data, measurement and calculation of time values. Identification data (features) of the software are given in Table 1.

The metrological characteristics of the Orlan complexes indicated in Table 2 are normalized taking into account the software. The level of software protection against unintentional and intentional changes is “high” according to R 50.2.077-2014.

Specifications

Table 2 - Main metrological and technical characteristics

Type approval mark

is applied by installing a metallographic plate on the body of the complex and using the typographic method on the title pages of the Operating Manual ADE.402100.001 RE and the Operator's Manual AWP ADE.402100.002 RE in the lower left corner.

Completeness

The completeness of the complex is shown in Table 3.

Verification

carried out according to the document RT-MP-2848-441-2016 “GSI. Hardware and software complexes “Orlan”, “Orlan-M”, “Orlan-R” Verification methodology”, approved by the Federal Budgetary Institution “Rostest-Moscow” dated 02/18/2016.

List of standards used during verification:

Time synchronization server SSV-1G, State Register 58301-14;

Universal frequency meter CNT-90XL, State Register 41567-09.

The verification mark is applied to the verification certificate.

Information about measurement methods

The measurement technique is given in the operating manual “Hardware-software complexes “Orlan”, “Orlan-M”, “Orlan-R” ADE.402100.001 RE.

Regulatory and technical documents establishing requirements for hardware and software complexes “Orlan”, “Orlan-M”, “Orlan-R”