This most regal of symbols makes a very nice living from carrion, and from stealing the prey of other raptors like Ospreys. Bald Eagles also eat many seabirds, some of which are harried into exhaustion as they dive repeatedly to escape the eagle's persistent stoops. While their hunting methods are a little less than glamorous, these birds are exemplary parents. They will mate for life, and return to the same nest site year after year. These nests can become huge accumulations of branches, dirt, and the remains of prey.
Most nests produce two young, which are full-grown when they leave.
Bald Eagles require five or six years to acquire their full adult plumage. Juvenile birds are dark brown, and are often assumed to be Golden Eagles. Second and third year birds show considerable white on their undersides, but by the fourth year, the white of the head and tail are beginning to show. As in most birds of prey, females are larger than males, and may reach a weight of over five kilograms, carried by a wingspan of two meters or more. Bald Eagles may be seen at any time of the year, but they often gather in large numbers when food is plentiful.