Because bald eagles reuse and build upon their nests each year, they become massive in size, weighing up to 2 tons.
Bald eagle nests are composed of sticks and can be massive as birds often reuse nests for consecutive years, continually adding to it each year. The largest bald eagle nest on record was found in Florida. It was used for 30 years and weighed two tons when it fell out of a tree. However, nests do not generally last that long. On average, nests in southern Florida and Saskatchewan are used for five years and nests in Alaska are used an average of 13 years.
Bald eagle nests are often located away from human settlements and near water, but they vary based on the population’s location. Generally, bald eagles nest in the canopies of tall, coniferous trees, surrounded by smaller trees, however, in southern Florida, mangroves are used instead. They have also been reported nesting in deciduous trees, on the ground, on cliffs, on cellular phone towers, on electrical poles, and in artificial nesting towers.
In the Chesapeake Bay area, bald eagles often roost in oak trees (Quercus) and yellow poplars (Liriodendron tulipifera), generally in woodlots with good canopy cover; however, their large body size prevents their movement through closed canopies.
• Image | ©️ Tony’s Takes, Some Rights Reserved, (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
• Sources | (Alderfer, 2006; Andrews and Mosher, 1982; Buehler, 2020; Burnie & Wilson, 2001; Crossley, 2011; Curnutt & Robertson, 1994; Dickinson, 2017; Gill, 2006; Jenkins & Jackman, 2006; Millsap, et al., 2004; Saalfeld & Conway, 2010; Siciliano Martina, 2013; Watts & Duerr, 2010)
Learn More About the Bald Eagle
