Bald Eagle Nests in Eastern White Pine: Pinus strobus Is Favorite Tree

Summary: Bald eagle nests in Eastern white pine trees (Pinus strobus) provide spacious safety for raising eaglets by the national bird of the United States.

A bald eagle in an Eastern White Pine; Minocqua, Wisconsin; Friday, July 22, 2011, 17:06: John Picken from Chicago, CC BY 2.0 Generic, via Wikimedia Commons

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a New World bird of prey native to North America.

Its homelands range from northern Mexico northward through much of Canada.

In the United States, bald eagles natively populate Alaska and all of the Lower 48 states.

Bald eagles belong to the diverse Accipitridae family of diurnal raptors (Latin: rapere, "to seize") that presents an array of dissimilarities and similarities. A common characteristic is their strong, hooked beaks. A fleshy membrane known as a cere (pronounced: si[ə]r) covers the base of the upper mandible in all accipitrids.

As both the national animal and the national bird of the United States, bald eagles are renowned powerhouses. Their legendary eyesight spans aerial distances, frustrating attempts by their prey to elude them. Their storied stamina enables them to cover great distances during their lifetimes. Their wingspans easily may measure 5 to 8 feet (1.5 to 2.4 meters).

Nesting sites hold crucial importance for the perpetuation of species. Bald eagles evince a high degree of nest site fidelity. Despite indulging in far-flung flying, they tend to return to nesting territories within 100 miles of their birthplace.

Bald eagles favor elevated sites with unobstructed views of their territory. Arboreal sites such as dead trees, known as snags, and mature or old-growth trees are prime locations for bald eagle nests.

Bald eagles favor sites in proximity to food supplies and water sources. Coastlines, lakes, rivers and streams all promise adequate food supplies.

Bald eagles especially prefer Eastern white pines (Pinus strobus), New World native trees that tower above the forest canopy with their dizzying heights. The elevated grandeur of Eastern white pines, with their sturdy upper limbs, lush with plentiful bundles of flexible needles, provides ample space for flexed or outspread wings as bald eagles frequently land and take off during nesting.

Bald eagles are credited with building some of the world's largest avian nests. Nests may weigh more than 1,000 pounds (453.5 kilos). Diameters easily span 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters). Depths easily measure 3 feet (0.9 meters).

Construction utilizes large sticks. Lining materials may include grass, lichens, moss, plant stalks, seaweed or sod.

The sight of bald eagle parents roosting atop Eastern white pines is an awesome spectacle.

The high-flying bird, elegant aerialist of the skies, matches perfectly with the high-growing tree, grand dweller of earth and sky.

bald eagle chicks in nest, Kodiak Island, south Alaskan coast; image credit Dave Menke/USFWS: USFWS National Digital Library, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

A bald eagle in an Eastern White Pine; Minocqua, Wisconsin; Friday, July 22, 2011, 17:06: John Picken from Chicago, CC BY 2.0 Generic, via Wikimedia Commons @ http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Haliaeetus_leucocephalus_-Minocqua,_Wisconsin,_USA-8.jpg

bald eagle chicks in nest, Kodiak Island, south Alaskan coast; image credit Dave Menke/USFWS: USFWS National Digital Library, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Haliaeetus_leucocephalus1.jpg;
Public Domain, via USFWS National Digital Library @ https://digitalmedia.fws.gov/digital/collection/natdiglib/id/6022

For further information:

"Haliaeetus leucocephalus." US Forest Service > Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) Database > Animals > Bird.
Available @ http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/animals/bird/hale/all.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Eastern White Pine: Graceful Tall Silhouette of Pinus strobus." Earth and Space News. Tuesday, March 31, 2015.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2015/03/eastern-white-pine-graceful-tall.html