A practical guide to bird watching in Sonoma County, California
(Unless otherwise indicated, all phone numbers are in the 707 area code)
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocepahlus
Uncommon but present in the county year round. Somewhat more common during the winter months. The Bald Eagle has been making a comeback in the area. Sightings, although not common, are not the rarity they once were. Populations hit a low in the 1950s and 1960s. Bolander and Parmeter (published in 2000) note no sightings in the months of May through September, but as the E-bird graph above shows, Bald Eagles have more recently been noted here in all months of the year, although infrequently in late August to September. As recently as 1995 there were no known mating pairs in the county (Burridge; in Sonoma County Breeding Bird Atlas, the most recent earlier breeding pair noted was from 1904), but since 1995 several breeding pairs have been confirmed. It is probably safe to say that today, in 2021, Bald Eagle is a county breeder again.
Adult birds are a dark brownish-grey close to black with a distinctive clean white head and tail. Bill yellow. Young birds are mottled dark brown and white. Birds attain fully adult plumage in their fourth or fifth year. The bird pictured here is not quite an adult (note the brown in the tail in the photo at the bottom of this page). Bald Eagles soar with wings nearly flat (unlike, for example, Turkey vultures which soar with wings in a distinctly V-shaped position). In flight, wings appear notably long and evenly broad. Very large. The only larger soaring bird likely in our area is Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos).
Mostly seen foraging near water—near lakes, along rivers, and at the coast. Hunts for fish or mammals and sometimes scavenges. Fish, ducks, other waterfowl, and rabbits are favorite foods. Favors areas with tall trees nearby for nest-building and as perches for hunting from.
Selected county sightings: Howarth Park, November 10-15, 2020
For current raptor migration information, visit the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory website
Further reading:
Bolander and Parmeter, Birds of Sonoma County California, rev. ed., 2000, p. 39
Brinkley, National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Birds of North America, 2007, p. 200
Burridge, ed., Sonoma County Breeding Bird Atlas, 1995, p. 188
Clark and Wheeler, Peterson Field Guide to Hawks of North America, 2nd ed., 2001, pp. 30-33 (Plate 7-8), pp. 141-148
Dunn and Alderfer, eds., National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 5th ed., 2006, p. 124-125
Dunn and Alderfer, eds., National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 6th ed., 2011, p. 130-131
Dunne, Pete Dunne’s Essential Field Guide Companion, 2006, p. 153-154
Ehrlich, Dobkin, and Wheye, The Birder's Handbook, paperback edition, 1988, p. 220
Fix and Bezener, Birds of Northern California, 2000, p. 105
Floyd, Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 2008, p. 123
Kaufman, Field Guide to Birds of North America, 2000, pp. 118-119
Kaufman, Field Guide to Advanced Birding, 2011, pp. 46, 190
Liguori, Hawks from Every Angle: How to Identify Raptors in the Field, 2005, pp. 107, 114-119, 126-130
Lukas, Bay Area Birds: From Sonoma County to Monterey Bay, 2012, pp. 69-70
Parmeter and Wight, Birds of Sonoma County California, Update (2000-2010), 2012, p. 21
Peterson, Birds of Eastern and Central North America, 5th ed., 2002, p. 112, 114-115
Peterson, Field Guide to Birds of Western North America, 4th ed., 2010, p. 98, 122-123
Peterson, Western Birds, 3rd ed., 1990, p. 180
Sibley, Field Guide to Birds of Western North America,1st ed., 2003, p. 113
Stokes, Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 1st ed., 2010, p. 152-153
Vuilleumier, American Museum of Natural History, Birds of North America: Western Region, 2011, p. 110
Voice: Cornell Lab of Ornithology: All About Birds--Bald Eagle
© Colin Talcroft, 2009-2021
Unless noted, all photos by the author. If you would like to use one of my images, please ask for permission for non-commercial use with proper credit or commercial use with proper compensation.
Bald Eagle, Howarth Park, Santa Rosa, November 15, 2020
Bald Eagle in flight, Howarth Park, Santa Rosa, November 15, 2020
Bald Eagle in flight, Howarth Park, Santa Rosa, November 15, 2020
Notice the traces of pigment remaining in the tail, which indicates this is not a fully mature bird
