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It’s no surprise that bald eagles build nests that are fit for the predatory raptors they are. This post by @factsdailyy shows just how massive their nesting grounds can be. While sizing varies from bird to bird, they’re all large enough to fit a human… and then some. This nest might be fit for a king, but it serves several functions for America’s national bird.
The Largest Nests in North America
Bald eagles are one of the largest birds in North America. With a wingspan of 7.5 feet and talons that grow up to 2 inches, you can imagine it requires quite a bit of space. The nests built by bald eagles can hold up to a family of five. Most are roughly 6 feet long and 2 feet deep, leaving room for two adults and three fledglings. The photo in the post above is jarringly accurate, as most humans could fit comfortably in an eagle’s nest. The largest nest ever recorded was 8 feet long and weighed two tons. The nest was found 18 feet above ground and stood out as a monolith among Florida’s bird species.
Nests typically comprise sturdy branches, twigs, or plant stalks, which serve as the general structure. Bald eagles pad the inside of the nest with moss, grass, or down feathers. Nests built near the ocean are sometimes made with driftwood or seagrass. Construction takes some time for a nest of this size. Most bald eagles spend up to three months building their nest, which does get reused. Bald eagles continue to add more materials each year, so nests are significantly larger than when they started.
The Perfect Location
The tree itself is more important to a bald eagle than the tree species. Nests are usually built in trees with a 360-degree view of the surrounding land. These are typically the tallest trees in the grove, which is why so many nests are located as far from the ground as possible. Most nests are built in trees that are living rather than dead trees due to the strength needed to hold their weight. However, it’s not uncommon for a nest this big to fall, occasionally damaging the tree in which it was built.
Eagle nests are so big that they’re usually easy to spot with the naked eye. Although they’re built high up, their size stands out, especially during the fall and winter when leaves aren’t blocking the nest from view. Bald eagles typically nest near water sources, so it’s more common to find them along rivers, lakes, and coastal regions. While eaglets only spend ten to 14 weeks in a nest, adult eagles might use the same nest for up to 35 years. If there’s more than one suitable tree in an eagle’s territory, it might build several nests to rotate throughout its life.
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