Bald Eagles

Duration:

6 minutes, 56 seconds

Ranger Susan explores an eagle's nest, sharing more about the unique features of an eagle's home and their incredible engineering skills on the Niobrara National Scenic River.

Learn more on our Nature Page

 

The American Bald Eagle is a treasure

and at one time was a rare site. Bald Eagles were endangered in the United States from 1967-2006 and have since repopulated and been removed from the endangered species list in the United States, but the protection of these majestic birds as a national symbol still remains.

The Bald Eagle makes its home on on the Niobrara River because of the resources it can find there. The eagle needs food, shelter, and protection to survive.

Eagles eat other animals. Usually rodents, small land animals, fish, and waterfowl like ducks. The streams and lakes around the Niobrara River valley provide abundant fish and waterfowl for these carnivorous birds.

They build their nests very high in tall strong trees so that they can survey the land and water for food and threats. Eagle's nests are very large and very heavy. The video above tours an eagle's nest and talks about the unique engineering and construction the eagle has to do to build a strong, sturdy nest to withstand wind, rain, and snow at the top of a tree.

The Niobrara River Valley has abundant food sources like ducks, fish, rodents, prairie dogs and more for the Eagle to eat, but without the oasis of trees around the river, the eagle would likely have had to find another home. The forest ecosystems that border the Niobrara River are unique and provide shelter for the Bald Eagle where their usually would not be one in the middle of the Great Plains. To learn more about the unique ecosystems of the Niobrara and the wildlife that live here because of it, check out our Ecosystems and Wildlife pages.

 

Bald Eagle Nests

Left image
An Eagle's Nest in a tree with Eagle for size comparison.
Credit: NPS

Right image
An Eagle's Nest on a Trailer.
Credit: NPS, M. Vetch

Eagles are large birds. The largest on record had a wingspan from tip to tip of its wings over 9 feet wide! These birds live with their mate, juvenile offspring, and baby chicks all in one nest. They need a lot of room to accommodate all of those bodies.

The nest is not only where they sleep, but also where they eat, use the bathroom, and live. The nest needs to be sturdy and comfortable. It has a dirt-like bed that is dirt and grass from the ground, but also the remains of their dinners and their excrement as well. 

Eagle's Nest are constructed of branches, sticks, twigs and other salvaged materials that are pieces together over time to build a bigger and bigger nest. It looks a lot like a pile of sticks in a tree, but is actually intentionally build to balance and fit in the crook of the trees branches to provide stability and the best protection for offspring that a nest can offer. The eagle also looks for tall trees to build in so that it can survey for danger and food from the comfort of its own bed.

 

Want your own Nest?

You can make your own Eagle Sized Nest at Home!

Build a Nest with Ranger Maggie