BIRDS OF PREY 



[351.] Gray Sea Eagle. Haliceetus albicilla. 



A common species on the sea coasts of Europe; straggling to southern Green- 

 land, where it nests upon the rocky cliffs. 



352. Bald Eagle. Haliceetus leucocephalus 

 leucocephalus. 



m 



White 



Bald Eagle 



Range. — Whole of North America; most abundant on the Atlantic 

 coast; breeds throughout its range. This large white-headed and white-tailed 

 species is abundant in sufficiently wild localities along the Atlantic 

 coast. It only attains the white head and tail when three years old, 

 the first two years, being blackish. It is about 34 inches in length' 

 and expands about seven feet, never over eight feet, and only birds of the second 

 year (when they are larger than the adults) ever approach this expanse. 

 Their food consists of fish (which they sometimes capture themselves, but 

 more often take from the Osprey), carrion, and Ducks, which they catch in 

 (light. Their nests are massive structures of sticks, in the tops of tall tree-. 

 They very rarely lay more than two eggs, which are white. Size 2.75x2.10. 

 Data. — Mt. Pleasant, S. C, nest in top of a pine, 105 feet from the ground; 

 made of large sticks and lined with Spanish moss. 



852a. Northern Bald Eagle. Haliceetus leucocephalus alascanus. 



Range.— Alaska. This sub-species averages slightly larger than the Maid 

 Eagle, but never exceeds the largest dimensions of that species, its nesting 



habits and eggs are the same, except that it more often builds its nests <<n re.ky 

 cliffs than does the Maid Eagle. The eggs are laid in February and March. 



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