On the coast, salmon spawning begins in late August and September, but eagles move into estuaries and rivers slightly later as spent salmon carcasses become available. In the interior, winter numbers and locations depend on open water and populations of waterbirds, especially American Coots. Garbage dumps are used infrequently in winter. The centre of winter abundance is along the coast. The centre of abundance is along the coast, where dense populations are found in the Queen Charlotte Islands and Gulf Islands.
Large trees are important habitat components.
Most nest sites have an unobstructed view of the surrounding area, and a food source is usually nearby. Along the coast, most nests are within 100 m of the shore. This is also generally true for the interior, but some nests are found 1 km from water. Nests have been found from near sea level to 1,370 m elevation. Other nest sites on the coast included lakeshores, marshes, sloughs, lagoons, and rivers.