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Florida Treasures |
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BY "GILBERT HENRY" |
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Florida Bald Eagles
Bald eagles are highly social outside of the nesting season, but are extremely territorial when nesting. They are capable of breeding in their fourth year, while still in subadult plumage, or the coat of feathers worn by young eagles not quite fully developed.
Bald eagles in Florida begin building a nest or start gathering materials for a nest in late September or early October. The nesting season is prolonged. Eagles begin laying eggs as early as October or as late as April (nests that are built later in the season are mostly renesting attempts or nest built after the first attempt fails)
Nest sites tend to be built near the edges of eagle habitats such as in a living tree that offers a view of the surrounding area and that can support the eagle's often sizeable nest and include pine trees, cypress trees, mangroves, great blue heron nests, artificial structures such as communication towers, transmission towers, and raptor nesting platforms, and even though very rarely on the ground.
However, bald eagles in Florida strongly prefer living native pines. Nearly all bald eagle nests in Florida are built within 1.8 miles of water. Territory size varies depending on habitat and prey density but is thought to encompass 0.6-1.2 square miles. Most clutches of eggs in Florida are laid between December and early January. Nestlings in Florida fledge, or become able to fly from the nest, at around 11 weeks of age and remain with their parents near the nest for an additional 4-11 weeks.
Most of Florida's breeding bald eagles, especially those nesting in the extreme southern peninsula, remain in the state year-round, but most subadults, or birds not quite fully grown, and non-breeding adults migrate out of Florida.
Daytime roosts are generally in "super canopy" trees which are very large trees which will poke above most trees in the forest and are adjacent to shorelines, and are typically located away from human disturbance.
Research by V. Henry
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