The iconic eagle scream is not, in fact, a bald eagle! Bald eagles have a high-pitched, laughing call; the fearsome screech often dubbed over eagle visuals belongs to a red-tailed hawk.4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
It takes bald eagles about five years to obtain their white head! These pictures are of the same bird taken years apart, illustrating the difference between juvenile and subadult plumage.4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
Young eaglets are not able to thermoregulate until they are over about two weeks of age. Because of this, parent bald eagles will continue to brood their young after hatching. They will curl their fearsome talons to prevent any injuries to their eaglets.4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
The Crested Caracara is a weird bird! It looks like a hawk, behaves like a vulture, sounds like a dinosaur, and is sometimes referred to as the Mexican Eagle, but Caracaras are a species of tropical falcon.4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
Think this bird is waiting for something to die? Think again! This posture, often referred to the horaltic pose, is effectively a self-care or maintenance behavior. This pose helps vultures dry off, straighten feathers, bake off bacteria, and manage parasites. Vultures are quite clean!3yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
The Corvid Family (not to be confused with Covid) is a diverse family of birds that includes magpies, crows, ravens, jackdaws, and even colorful jays.4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
Despite their status as America's national bird, bald eagles are quite playful! In the wild, they have been observed playing with sticks, pine cones, and other improvised toys. As many as six bald eagles have been seen tossing sticks to each other like a strange avian football game.4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
Bald Eagles don't obtain their characteristic white heads and tails until they are four to five years old4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
Barn Owls are well-known for their distinctive heart-shaped face, which helps funnel sound towards their ears like a satellite dish. Their ears are asymmetrical, meaning that one is higher than the other, and this helps them locate the precise location of prey in the dark.4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
Bald eagles are well equipped to deal with extreme temperatures. Their adaptations include lowering their nocturnal body temperature, minimizing movement, or communal roosting.4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
Turkey Vultures don't actually enjoy seriously decaying meat. Their keen sense of smell helps them locate fresh carrion, and their feasting can neutralize diseases like botulism, rabies, and anthrax. Just think of them as nature's janitors!4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
Male red-winged blackbirds are fiercely territorial and will relentlessly divebomb larger predators. More than a quarter of each day is spent chasing and pestering perceived threats.2yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
When vultures sit with their wings spread, they aren't waiting for something to die! This posture, called the horaltic pose, helps vultures thermoregulate and dry their feathers.4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
American Kestrels, North America's tiniest falcons, can track rodents via their ultraviolet reflective urine, making these birds pest control experts. They are in decline in many regions, but you can help conserve these adorable birds (adorabirbs?) by building nest boxes.4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
Juvenile plumage can make raptor identification difficult! Some species, such as the red-shouldered hawk pictured, typically obtain their adult plumage after just one year, but the markings and coloration can vary widely between individuals and regions.4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
Black Vultures are highly social birds with strong family bonds. Even after fledging, family groups of black vultures remain in close contact by feeding and roosting together, and they will aggressively chase off non-family members.4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
The peregrine falcon, like the bald eagle, nearly went extinct due to the effects of DDT pesticides. The centuries old practice of falconry helped restore peregrine populations. Today, they are known for thriving in urban landscapes, where skyscrapers mimic their cliffside nest sites.2yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
Bald Eagles will build impressive structures in which to rear their young! The largest known bald eagle nests can be up to 2.9 meters in diameter, 6.1 meters tall, and weigh two tons! These nests are used year after year; a nest in Ohio was famously used for 34 years until the tree fell.4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
The corvid family are among the most intelligent birds! They may work together to distract predators and other animals enough to steal their meal. They're also a tool-using family; they may use sticks to reach food or even carry water in improvised cups.4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
New world vultures--like the black vulture--don't have a voice box (or syrinx). Because of this, they are only capable of making grunts, hisses, and sneezes.3yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
Buster is a superb gray-morph Eastern Screech Owl. He makes an owl-standing educational ambassador, but his small size (and general natural history) ensures that he's a horrible mail courier.4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Superbowl
Bald Eagles are like sky pirates! Rather than fishing for themselves, they will commonly steal fish from Osprey, mammalian predators, and even humans.4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
Don't let their small size fool you! Eastern Screech Owls are voracious hunters capable of taking down prey larger than themselves, including jays, shorebirds, and grouse. They will cache extra food for up to four days in tree holes.4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
The signature eagle scream often heard in pop culture media actually belongs to the red-tailed hawk!4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
Though the cheetah is the fastest land mammal, the Peregrine Falcon holds the title of fastest animal due to their impressive diving speed of over 200 mph! They are found on every continent except for Antarctica.4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
In the mid-to-late 1900's, Peregrine falcons nearly went extinct in North America due to the pesticide DDT. Long prized as a falconry bird, falconry techniques (and falconers) contributed to peregrine falcon conservation and helped their population recover!3yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
Eastern Screech-owls come in three color morphs: red, gray, and an intermediate brown! An estimated 1/3 of individuals are red (with that coloration being more common in the East).4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
According to Bergmann's Rule, populations of a species found in colder climates tend to be physically larger than populations in warmer climates, which can be observed in bald eagles. Bald Eagles found in Florida, for example, tend to be considerably smaller than their Alaskan counterparts.4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
As a species of sea eagle, fish make up a significant portion of bald eagle diets. However, bald eagles often steal fish from other predators (like osprey or fishing mammals), and they frequently dine on carrion.4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
This posture, called the horaltic pose, helps vultures thermoregulate and dry their feathers. Because it's important to dry off morning dew and thermoregulate after cooler nights, it's common to see vultures in a horaltic pose early in the mornings, performing their own brand of sun salutations!4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
George, a 34-year-old non-releasable turkey vulture, enjoying a stroll in the snow4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/birdsofprey
Turkey Vultures use urohydrosis, or peeing on their own legs and feet, to help themselves stay cool4yr ⋅ aefeagles ⋅ r/Awwducational
