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There’s nothing more breathtaking than watching a bald eagle soar overhead and land in an almost-too-big-to-believe nest. Learn more about the nesting habits of our national bird.
When and Where Do Bald Eagles Nest?
Male and female of a bald eagle pair will gather nesting materials like branches and sticks. It takes a minimum of two weeks to build their nest, but the process can take up to three months.
Breeding season for bald eagles varies with latitude. In Florida and near the Gulf Coast the females may lay eggs in late fall or early winter. Farther north, such as around Chesapeake Bay or the Great Lakes, the first eggs may appear in late January or February. In the northern Rocky Mountains and central Canada, eggs are laid from March into April, while in parts of Alaska and northwestern Canada, most egg-laying occurs in late April and May. Everywhere in their range, nesting activities begin as early as local conditions will permit, probably so that the young eagles will have time to grow and develop before the next winter.
Bald eagle nests usually place their nests in tall trees (anywhere between 50 and 120 feet high), but in some places they will nest on cliffs, and on some Alaskan islands they build their nests on the ground. Because their diet is mostly fish, bald eagles will almost always build their nests near bodies of water.
They also prefer building nests where there’s not a lot of tree coverage over the nest itself, making it easier for these large birds to come and go.
Don’t miss these inspiring bald eagle pictures.
What Does a Bald Eagle Nest Look Like?
Bald eagle nests are truly eye-catching feats of architecture. They are usually 5 to 6 feet across and 2 to 4 feet deep, making them the largest nests of any bird in North America!
Their nests can weigh thousands of pounds, too. One of the heaviest nests on record weighed over two tons! It was used for more than three decades until the tree it was built in blew down. The largest bald eagle nest was recorded in Florida, coming in at 10 feet in diameter and 20 feet tall. Black bears have even been spotted napping in eagle nests in Alaska!
Bald eagle nests come in different shapes, too. The shape of the nest is dependent on its placement in its tree. For example, a cone-shaped nest is likely to sit between two angled tree branches. A bowl-shaped eagle nest might be nestled between multiple tree branches.
Do Bald Eagles Reuse Their Nests?
Yes! Bald eagles have “high nest fidelity,” meaning they return to the same nest year after year. Part of the reason is that their nests take considerable energy to build. When they return to the previous year’s nest, they repair any damage that has occurred while they’ve been gone, as well as strengthen the nest’s structure for another breeding season. This typically ends up with the nest gaining some material every year.
Three Adult Bald Eagles in a Nest
“For more than 10 years, I’ve been watching eagles in an established nest raise their chicks until they fledge. This year they hatched two chicks, but, unfortunately, neither survived. A few weeks later, I saw three mature eagles sitting in the nest at the same time. What was going on? I thought eagles were very protective of their nests, even if they’re unoccupied,” asks Birds & Blooms reader Lyrian Van Artsdalen of Waterville, Pennsylvania.
Birding experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman say, “You’re right; bald eagles are usually very protective of their nests, especially in breeding season. After their young eaglets are full grown and independent, the territorial instincts of the parents may fade, and they become very sociable for the rest of the year at feeding or roosting sites. That could partly explain why this pair would tolerate a third adult nearby. Perhaps all were attracted by old prey remains in the nest. However, there are several odd, documented cases (in Alaska, Minnesota and elsewhere) of three adult bald eagles tending to young in the same nest. These birds are all individuals, with endless power to surprise us.”
How Many Eggs Do Bald Eagles Lay?
A female bald eagle typically lays just one clutch in a breeding season, and lays one to three eggs per clutch.
Bald eagle eggs are approximately 3 inches long and 2 inches wide, or about the size of a tennis ball. They’re off-white and have an oval shape.
Both parents regularly roll the eggs in the nest (once every hour or so) to keep egg temperature consistent and to help with the development of the chick inside. They also take turns laying on the eggs to keep them warm.
What Do Baby Bald Eagles Eat? How Long Do They Stay in the Nest?
It takes a baby bald eagle 10 to 13 weeks before it’s old enough to fly away from the nest. But even as a fledgling, it will stay near the nest for another four weeks while its parents continues to provide it with food. Bald eagle parents equally share feeding duties, bringing back caught fish, like salmon and herring, and small mammals to the nest.
While the fledgling learns to hunt, a process that can take several more weeks, the parents will help supplement its diet until the young bird reaches true independence.
Did Bald Eagles Almost Go Extinct?
Bald eagles are a major conservation success story. Although they’re common across the U.S. and Canada, their population dropped rapidly in the 1960s due to the insecticide DDT. The toxic chemical ended up in waterways and bald eagles would eat contaminated fish. Although it didn’t directly poison the birds, the DDT caused their eggshells to thin, which reduced the number being born.
The Environmental Protection Agency banned the use of DDT in 1972. Numbers of bald eagles rebounded quickly. From only about 400 nesting pairs in the Lower 48 states in the mid-1960s, the number of pairs increased to more than 5,000 by the mid-1990s, and to more than 70,000 pairs by 2020, with more in Canada and Alaska.
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Where Can I Watch Bald Eagle Nest Cams?
Nest cams are a fantastic way to check in on a bald eagle family and see their nest up-close. Here’s a few you should check out:
- Duke Farms Eagle Cam in Hillsborough, New Jersey (for a straight-down view of the nest)
- Friends of Big Bear Valley Eagle Cam in San Bernardino, California (for a long-running eagle family saga — this pair, dubbed “Jackie and Shadow” have been returning to this nest for nearly a decade)
- The Raptor Resource Project — particularly their nest cams in Decorah, Iowa (for multiple bald eagle nests to browse)
