How To Identify The Difference Between a Bald Eagle and a Golden Eagle
Here in the Puget Sound watershed we have thousands of year-round bald eagle residents and nearly every outdoor adventure includes a sighting of at least one somewhere along the way. Despite the close proximity to these wild neighbors it can still be tricky to spot the differences between a bald eagle and a golden eagle from a distance, especially if you come across a juvenile or immature bald eagle that does a pretty convincing golden eagle impersonation.
There are a few key signs that make identifying the species on a whim a little bit easier, so let’s dive in!
An immature bald eagle perched on a snag near the shores of Padilla Bay on Puget Sound. (Photo: Sara Montour Lewis)
SIGN 1: LOCATION
While we ‘never say never’ when identifying wildlife (emphasis on the wild), when it comes to eagles here in Washington state we have a natural physical barrier in the Cascades that can provide the first helpful clue when identifying the species.
Golden eagles tend to stay on the east side of the mountains, so if you’re standing on the shores of our beloved Puget Sound it’s a pretty safe bet that you’re looking at a gorgeous bald eagle.
SIGN 2: BEAK SIZE
After looking at the elegance of a golden eagles narrow beak and slim head profile the bald eagle can seem nearly cartoonish with its giant beak (no offense, obviously, and we also know that the bald eagle can’t even compete against the Steller’s Sea Eagle when it comes to absurdly large beaks).
SIGN 3: FEET FEATHERS
While this identifying feature is one of the trickiest to see it happens to be one of the more sure-fire ways to tell whether you have a bald eagle or a golden eagle in front of you. While the bald eagle’s leg feathers will stop halfway up the leg, the golden eagle’s leg feathers extend all the way to the ankles. This is especially deceiving to see while they’re perched because the bald eagle’s feathers will give the illusion that they extend all the way down.
SIGN 4: FEATHER COLORS
We’ve all seen a million images of a magnificent bald eagle with that vibrant white head and white tail feathers. It’s locked into our brains and is ready to trick us at any moment because bald eagles don’t actually full fledge into those adult colors until their fifth year. Up until that point they vary in color from dark brown to mottled brown and can look a lot like a golden eagle at first glance.
In-flight there are some key signs to distinguish between the two species. Bald eagles will have a more mottled look through their entire belly, wingspan, and tail feathers. They will also frequently have large white patches closer to the body (near the ‘armpit’), while golden eagles will generally have darker feathers on their breast and belly with well-defined white patches toward the outer wings.
Golden eagles will also have the tell tale golden nape at the back of their neck, but the brown feathers of juvenile and immature bald eagles can look deceivingly similar.
An immature bald eagle perched above Lake Washington (Photo: Sara Montour Lewis)
