Are you in search of the majestic appearance of birds of prey? Then you should definitely look out for eagles.
This powerfully built hunting bird is renowned among bird enthusiasts and the ones who have no real interest in birds.
Unlike wide-ranged birds, eagles have a limited number of species all over the world. There are only about 68 species distributed in different parts of the world right now.
If you are looking for eagles in Virginia then you can commonly get sightings of two of their species and the rest of them were reported as accidental sightings.
We will discuss both kinds of species, the existent ones, and the rare ones, and give you their basic information so that when you come across one of them you can easily identify them while feeling the thrill of seeing them up close.
Let’s get started!
Contents
Eagle Species In Virginia: 4 Striking Species Description
In this section, we will get you familiar with the 4 eagle species in Virginia, so that you can easily detect them from afar.
Golden Eagle
Source: @eye_spy_birds
- Scientific Name: Aquila chrysaetos
- Size: 66 to 102 cm (26 to 40 in)
- Weight: 4.05 to 6.35 kg (8.9 to 14.0 lb)
- Wingspan: 180 to 234 cm (71 to 92 in)
- Locality: Northern Hemisphere
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Late March and Early April
The Golden eagle, one of the best birds of prey, has been famed among humans since the beginning of recorded history. They are highly regarded for their fantastic hunting skills and falconry. For this reason, they have been celebrated among tribal and ancient cultures with great reverence. From being designated as a sun god to being a state bird of prey, the Golden Eagle has been given a lot of recognition.
Another fascinating fact about this is their ability to survive for a long period of time in their natural conditions. However, this is only possible, if they are able to survive in their juvenile years. As they grow up their survival rate increases as well. Hence, this rate is considerably lower among juveniles. Hence, The survival rate, typically, depends on their body size and it remains the same regardless of the sexes.
Bald Eagle
Source: @wingsfan91
- Scientific Name: Haliaeetus leucocephalus
- Size: 70 to 102 cm (28 to 40 in)
- Weight: 3 to 6.3 kg (6.6 to 13.9 lb)
- Wingspan: 180 to 230 cm (71 to 91 in)
- Locality: North America
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Mid-September to January
The Bald Eagle, also known as the sea eagle, once a common sight in most of the regions was on the brink of extirpation during the late 20th Century despite its popularity among humans. However, it has now been upgraded from the list to being considered “Least Concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2005.
This species had to face such dangers because of various reasons, among them the use of pesticides, getting affected by DDT, and both legal and illegal shooting. Because of the excessive use of pesticides, the Bald Eagles had to face the thinning of their egg layers and in the case of DDT, the chemical itself did not affect the adult species that much, hence it was difficult to find out that they were actually harmful.
Other harmful factors leading to their demise during that period included lead pollution, poisoning, loss of habitat, etc. After facing such difficulties, treaties like the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty, The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, etc were approved and as a result, it became a bird in the IUCN list as “Least Concern”.
Accidental Sighting
In this section, we will introduce you to the last 2 species that were spotted very rarely in Virginia. These species are hardly seen in North America. Hence, their sightings are considered significant events for birdwatchers and ornithologists due to their unusual presence in Virginia.
White-Tailed Eagle
Source: @wildwillgreen
- Scientific Name: Haliaeetus albicilla
- Size: 66 to 94 cm (26 to 37 in)
- Weight: 3.1 to 5.4 kg (6.8 to 11.9 lb)
- Wingspan: 178 to 245 cm (70 to 96 in)
- Locality: Temperate Eurasia
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: January to July and April to September
The White-Tailed Eagle, a very large bird is a diurnal raptor and is famed for its inconsistent behavior. However, despite their popularity and breeding over a wide range of areas, like the Bald Eagle, this species too had to face extirpation. Their decline has been well-documented from the beginning which was during the 19th century.
Their cause of extirpation depended on a variety of factors including exposure to the overuse of chemicals, metal poisoning, DDT, and many other pesticides and insecticides. Moreover, they were unjustly accused and shot by humans. Hence, to protect this species’ food and habitat, laws were passed against their shooting, and the use of fungicides was banned in some areas.
Steller’s Sea Eagle
Source: @harris_hawk77
- Scientific Name: Haliaeetus pelagicus
- Size: 85 to 105 cm (33 to 41 in)
- Weight: 5 to 10 kg (11 to 22 lb)
- Wingspan: 195 to 250 cm (77 to 98 in)
- Locality: The Kamchatka Peninsula, the Sea of Okhotsk, the Amur River, and Northern Sakhalin and the Shantar Islands, Russia.
- Status: Vulnerable
- Breeding Season: February to August
Steller’s Sea Eagle, also known as Pacific Sea Eagle is a large diurnal bird of prey that has been listed as “Vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List (IUCN Red List) of threatened species. Despite their existence being legally protected in most of their habitat, this species has been facing different kinds of threats.
The threats include loss of suitable habitat, industrial pollution, loss of prey sources, heavy flooding, global climate change, etc. Due to the loss of suitable prey, they have migrated to different regions where they have been exposed to lead poisoning due to foraging on carcasses. Therefore, proper measures should be taken inside and outside their breeding range to secure their food source and habitat.
FAQ
As there are not many eagle species residing in Virginia, you might still have some questions about them.
Hence, in this section, we will let you in on a couple of frequently asked questions to help with your inquiries.
Q: Do eagles live in Virginia?
Ans: Yes, there are eagles living in Virginia. There have been signs of the species breeding in different parts of Virginia.
Q: How many eagles are in Virginia?
Ans: From when the first eagle was discovered in Virginia, the species was always a rarity in this region. This region only had 30 pairs of nesting eagles in possession in 1977. Currently, their population is somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000.
Thoughts
Having arrived at the end of the article, you are now more aware of the eagles in Virginia and their basic identification.
Eagles in Virginia and their nests are under the protection of the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Moreover, bald eagles are protected as well under Virginia law and pursuant to regulations of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF).
As they are protected by law, whether from natural predators or humans, if you are in Virginia you don’t have to think about the safety of eagles’ habitats.
Nonetheless, while most of them are listed as the least concern, some of the birds are still listed as endangered, vulnerable, etc by the IUCN.
Therefore, we still should be careful and show our appreciation for these species while celebrating their existence.
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Audio Credits: xeno-canto
