![]() Male bald eagles tend to be sleeker and more slender than females, which corresponds to their role as primary breadwinners (or more accurately, fish-winners) during breeding season. In addition to the difference in size, male and female bald eagles are also differently proportioned. Shape & Physical Characteristics: Male vs Female Bald Eagle It’s safer to assume that size is generally a good predictor of sex, with some exceptions. Many sources claim that northern Bald Eagles of either sex are larger than their southern counterparts, but measurements from actual eagles don’t support this. The individual variation in size is commonly attributed to Bergmann’s Rule, which states that animals of the same species are larger in northern regions than in southern regions. The best way to build confidence is simply to take the opportunity to observe eagles closely to build a mental image of how males and females look in flight, perched on trees, and so on. On top of that, there is a great deal of variation among individual eagles, and there are small females and large males that will be almost impossible to identify conclusively. Of course, this is a relative distinction, and it may not be easy to judge the absolute size of a solitary eagle. Females are not just larger but bulkier than males, and up to 50% heavier, which is important when they lay and incubate eggs. ![]() Females may have wingspans up to eight feet, while males top out around six feet. Males are only about two-thirds the size of females, with proportionally shorter wingspans. The biggest difference – really, the only major difference – between male and female bald eagles is size. Here’s what to look for the next time you see one of these majestic birds. This will probably go a long way toward improving your ID skills, and even if you never learn to tell a male from a female, most birders will agree that time spent outdoors is never wasted. The best way to build confidence distinguishing male and female Bald Eagles is to spend time watching them, observing not only their physical characteristics but their habits and behavior. ![]() However, these traits can be difficult to assess for solitary birds, particularly for inexperienced birders. In general, female Bald Eagles are larger and bulkier than males, with longer bills, and talons and deeper voices. To make matters worse, males don’t sing or vocalize distinctively, so the only real differences between sexes are physical: size, shape, and proportion. Like many raptors, male and female Bald Eagles have identical plumage. So how do you tell a male from a female Bald Eagle? It’s a great question, but one easier asked than answered. This means that more birders than ever before are getting the chance to see Bald Eagles for the first time – which means they’re learning for the first time how hard it is to tell males and females apart. Not only that, but they’re more numerous today than ever before: in the past decade their estimated population has quadrupled to more than 300,000 individuals. In the winter, almost any large body of water in the country is probably hosting at least one or two eagles, and along coastlines and large rivers like the Mississippi they’re year-round residents. Bald Eagles, by contrast have a coast to coast range, from northern Alaska to southern Florida and Mexico.
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