About this site Nests - The shape of the eagle nest is determined mainly by the branch point it is built in.
Sticks placed in deep, near vertical forks result in cylindrical or conical nests.
Nests built on the ground or nearly level branches are disk shaped. Bowl-shaped nests my occur where the tree trunk branches suddenly into several smaller, upright branches. Bald eagles build their nests in large trees near rivers or coasts. A typical nest is around 5 feet in diameter. Eagles often use the same nest year after year.