Hobbies And Interests
Eagles in Washington State
Bald eagles sometimes migrate to mate and nest in the interior of the state, but generally stay close to the coast year-round. The western part of the state boasts the largest bald eagle population in the United States. Golden eagles do not generally share the same area, staying in the eastern part of the state, but they can also be found near rivers in the winter months.
Food
Salmon migrate each year as they mature, returning to the river in which they spawned, and the bald eagles will often follow them to rivers throughout Western Washington. Golden eagles have different food sources such as rabbits, marmots and squirrels. In the winter they will move from their usual homes in the high, rocky mountain crags to follow their prey. Both types of eagle will pick at a carcass that a larger predator has left behind, but bald eagles are the more notorious scavengers.
Territories
The bald eagle prefers coastal areas to be closer to its main food source, fish. Bald eagles tend to migrate to open water such as estuaries, lakes and rivers in the winter months when salmon spawn. The golden eagle is often found at much higher elevations with large pine trees close to its mammalian prey, and thus tends to migrate more often to follow it. Both species require a vast territory and mate for life.
Habitat Loss and Pollution
Both types of birds have been forced to migrate from areas where their habitat or food sources were destroyed, often due to human intrusion. When DDT was commonly used as a pesticide, bald eagle populations were devastated by reproductive problems. The golden eagle has suffered more from habitat loss in the form of deforestation and mountain degradation, and since it is seen as a threat to ranch animals, humans will often hunt them.