bald eagle

[Stan Bentley]

Ok eagle experts. Gimme' the age of this one at Moncove Lake in Monroe County, WV Saturday. The irregularity of the rear margin wing feathers is perfectly symmetrical - if that makes any sense.

Stan Bentley

Pulaski, VA

[Eric Johnson]

Looks like a yearling to me. The regular irregularity of the rear wing margins is a reflection of the regularity of molt. Some of the feathers on each wing are not completrely grown.   Eric Johnson, Stuart --- On Mon, 11/16/09, Stan Bentley <samor...@verizon.net> wrote:

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[Eric Johnson]

I did a little research on plumage patterns of Bald Eagles as they age. The whitish underparts are typical of a bird about 2 yrs. old (when I said the bird was a yearling, I meant a bird older than 1, not yet 2). First (hatching) year birds have wider wings than older ones, and when the feathers are replaced, the new ones (especially obvious in the secondaries) are shorter. A first-year bird would not yet have replaced so many secondaries. So Stan's bird has replaced some (but not all) of its first year secondaries with the shorter ones typical of an older bird. Since Bald eagles normally hatch in the spring, the bird in the photo is probably a year and a half old, though 2 and a half is a possibility.    The symmetry between the wings is simply a reflection of the symmetry of molt (which is normal.)

Eric Johnson, Stuart --- On Mon, 11/16/09, Stan Bentley <samor...@verizon.net> wrote:

From: Stan Bentley <samor...@verizon.net> Subject: [NRV Birds] bald eagle To: "BlueRidgeBirds Yahoo" <blueridg...@yahoogroups.com>, "NRV Birds Birds" <NRVB...@googlegroups.com> Date: Monday, November 16, 2009, 8:27 PM

Ok eagle experts. Gimme' the age of this one at Moncove Lake in Monroe County, WV Saturday. The irregularity of the rear margin wing feathers is perfectly symmetrical - if that makes any sense. Stan Bentley Pulaski, VA

[Jim & Judy Phillips]

Stan,

 I would vote for the bird to be a 2nd year bird. I enjoy the pictures that you share.

Jim Phillips

Pipestem, WV

----- Original Message -----

From: Stan Bentley

To: BlueRidgeBirds Yahoo ; NRV Birds Birds

Sent: Monday, November 16, 2009 8:27 PM

Subject: [NRV Birds] bald eagle

Ok eagle experts. Gimme' the age of this one at Moncove Lake in Monroe County, WV Saturday. The irregularity of the rear margin wing feathers is perfectly symmetrical - if that makes any sense.

Stan Bentley

Pulaski, VA

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