EAGLE COUNTY \u2014 Spotting a bald eagle \u2014 in flight or simply hanging out in a tree \u2014 is something to give pause.<\/p>\n
There is no mistaking the majestic birds with their snow-white heads and tail feathers, and right now is a prime local viewing opportunity.<\/p>\n
There is an irony in the fact that the name \u201ceagle\u201d denotes the river, county and county seat of the community, but sightings of the actual birds aren\u2019t everyday occurrences. That\u2019s not to say there are no eagles in Eagle County \u2014 golden eagles can be seen locally year around and bald eagles are generally migratory.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are starting to get a few nesting bald eagle pairs along the Eagle River,\u201d said Craig Wescoatt, district wildlife manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. \u201cGenerally we are on the southern\u00a0periphery of the bald eagle\u00a0migratory range.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wescoatt said that bald eagles find their way to Eagle County around early December and generally leave the area by early April to return to Alaska, Montana\u00a0and other northern climes. However, there are now at least three nesting pairs along the Eagle River, and Wescoatt\u00a0said humans need to respect the bird\u2019s residency.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe ask people not to cause too much disturbance around the nest areas,\u201d Wescoatt said. \u201cWe have had issues with nest abandonment and when they are having babies it\u2019s the last time they need disturbance around their nests\u201d<\/p>\n
Bald eagles feed on both carrion and fish, so their nests are generally found close to water. Young bald eagles are often mistaken as golden eagles because their characteristic coloring doesn\u2019t appear until they are approximately five years old. Similarly, Wescoatt said that osprey hawks are often mistaken as baby bald eagles because these smaller birds also feature white heads.<\/p>\n
Bald eagles can live as long as 30 years. Eagles mate for life, but if they lose a partner, they will pair up with a new mate. Both male and female bald eagles sport the same unmistakable coloring.<\/p>\n
A male bald eagle will stand as high as 40 inches and females are a bit larger than males. Fledging eagles, because they have been so well fed in the nest, will often outweigh their parents, Wescoatt noted.<\/p>\n
While bald eagles are generally\u00a0Eagle County visitors, golden eagles are year-round valley residents.<\/p>\n
Golden eagles are the most prevalent type of eagle in the United States. They are a bit taller than bald eagles and one of their most striking characteristics is they have feathers that continue down their legs right to their talons. Wescoatt said that golden eagles nest in cliff areas, unlike bald eagles who nest in trees.<\/p>\n
\u201cGolden Eagles prey on small mammals. They are actually more hunters than scavengers,\u201d said Wescoatt. In his experience, however, Golden Eagle\u2019s don\u2019t sweep down to grab a family pet.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 36 years here, I have never responded to a case of an eagle picking up a cat or a dog,\u201d Wescoatt said.<\/p>\n
He has, however, responded to several calls from people concerned about an eagle\u2019s behavior<\/p>\n
\u201cUsually, the calls are about how an eagle can\u2019t fly and we go out and the bird isn\u2019t hurt, it had just gorged itself so much that it can\u2019t fly, or doesn\u2019t want to fly, for a while,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s in a name?<\/strong><\/p>\n There are other areas in Colorado where eagles are more prevalent. So how did the Eagle River, Eagle County and the town of Eagle get their names?<\/p>\n No one has the definitive answer, but we do know\u00a0that the river claimed the \u201ceagle\u201d name first.<\/p>\n In their 1965 book, \u201cEarly Days on the Eagle,\u201d authors\u00a0Leonard\u00a0Hammock and MacDonald Knight cite a book titled \u201cProgressive Men in Colorado\u201d when they offered the following historical tidbit out the town and river\u2019s\u00a0names:<\/p>\n \u201cThe railroad gave its station the name Rio Aquilla, Spanish for Eagle River. The struggling little village was known as Brush and Eagle\u00a0River Crossing. The name comes for that of the river to originate, possibly from the resemblance\u00a0of the valley, with its many streams and tributaries, to an eagle\u2019s tail feathers.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n