It is a complete loss if you come here and miss or refuse to watch the feathered white hood thieves of Vancouver Island. The joy of seeing beautiful bald eagles in British Columbia doesn't require to be an expert birdwatcher. They can be found perched above tree-lined riverbanks, cruising the sky, or swooping down to feast on spawning salmon. On Vancouver Island, the bald eagle is one of the most magnificent birds for which many people come to the Island to spot them dwindling for a handful hunt. These eagles prefer to nest in old-growth woods near big bodies of water, where it may hunt and scavenge. Bald eagles create some of the most giant nests of any other bird species, making it easy to locate their nests while on a
bird watching tour. The bald eagle is a coastal resident of the Island, and during the fall salmon-spawning season, you may spot them in large numbers near rivers. That is mainly the reason why bald eagle watching is one of the bonuses of
whale watching tours.
But why we call these majestic birds of prey "bald." It literary does not mean they are bald. Their name comes from the ancient English word "
balde," which means "white" (
white-headed). Bald eagles have a wingspan of 6 to 8 feet and weigh between 7 and 15 pounds. The female bald eagle is bigger than the male, making it one of North America's giant birds. Bald eagles love to catch fish by swooping down and grabbing them from the surface. They also prey on birds, particularly
waterfowl, as well as mammals on rare occasions.
Bald eagles are renowned for being particularly passionate birds, as they only have one life partner. Like a beautiful dance in the sky, the romance takes place mid-air. Locking talons and cartwheeling in the air are required for this. Every year, the eagle couple will return to the same nest to lay one to three eggs, usually two!
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