They are full grown when fledged at 3 months of age. Maine is the home of over 600 nesting pairs of bald eagles. ACCIPITERS: Only 3 species live in North America, and all nest here in Maine. Both are primarily fish eaters that build large stick nests, but the similarities diminish with further details or close-up viewing. The osprey is an abundant, widely distributed raptor in Maine. Continue to Step 5. Use the Maine Field Office's Bald Eagle Map Tool (Note: accessing this online ArcGIS tool may take a few minutes) that provides the locations of the known active bald eagle nests in Maine. In other words, Bald Eagles are a little picky—but mostly they’re just lazy. Only two types of eagles are native to North America. Print the Maine Bald Eagle Map and add it to the project review package. Northern saw whet owls (not pictured here) are small owls that nest in Maine’s coniferous woodlands. Wings raised in a “V” dihedral and a conspicuous white “rump” at the base of a relatively long tail are very characteristic. It hunts larger openings like fields and clearcuts. Bald eagles in Washington were listed as Threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1978. The bald eagle is unique to North America, but it is closely related to the white-tailed sea eagle found in Europe and Asia and the African fish eagle found in sub-Saharan Africa. Maine is the home of over 600 nesting pairs of bald eagles. Golden eagle almost certainly number < 100 individuals at any time of year: perhaps fewer than 10 in most months. Eagles may eat up to 1.5 pounds (0.68kg) of food a day. TTY: Maine Relay 711 More visit Maine as fall or spring migrants. Golden Eagles are a State Endangered Species. Contact the Maine Field Office for further guidance. Bald Eagles are currently recognized as a State Species of Special Concern. The breeding population of short-eared owls (not pictured here) is designated a Threatened Species due to low numbers and vulnerability as a ground nester in grassland or expansive marshes. Juveniles resemble females but tend to have rusty-tan colorations with streaking underneath. Where Do Bald Eagles Migrate? A federal law, the Bald Eagle – Golden Eagle Protection Act protects both species. Fax: (207) 287-8094 or (207) 287-6395 Wing shapes and size are specialized to aid foraging strategies. Physical Address: More visit Maine as fall or spring migrants. The bald eagle nesting (breeding) season in Maine is from February 1 through August 15. The State of Maine and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) can proudly celebrate a collaborative effort to recover the bald eagle, our national symbol. The bald eagle was removed from the Federal endangered species list in 2007 and from the Maine endangered species list in 2009. (A) If you are able to implement the recommendations in the guidelines, add "bald eagle" to the species column and add "will not disturb" nesting bald eagles to the species summary table under the column for Step 4. That’s why they tend to hang around garbage dumps (a great place to take your friends birding). Beaks are relatively large and powerful for tearing flesh. Bald Eagles are currently recognized as a State Species of Special Concern. However, short-eared owls and northern hawk owls also hunt during daylight. Both occur in Maine throughout the year. Often, the osprey drops the fish as the eagle closes in. More than 500 pairs currently nest in the State, and bald eagles are once again a common sight to the people of Maine. Migration is the obvious answer, but as you might suspect, it’s a bit more complicated than that. If your action area is not within 660 feet from a bald eagle nest, add "bald eagle" to the species column under Step 2 and add "unlikely to disturb nesting bald eagles" to the column for Step 4 of the species summary table. If you know of eagle nest locations within 660 feet of your project action area, include them in your species summary table. Augusta, ME 04333-0041, Phone: (207) 287-8000 The “falcons” webpage features the peregrine falcon and Maine’s recovery efforts. Declines in many raptor populations and conservation efforts to aid them have further elevated our awareness. Males have gray heads and backs, but are mostly white underneath. So, just to review, here’s a simplified take on a Bald Eagle’s tasting preferences: Anything they don’t have to chase. It is slightly smaller and more typical in the interior of Maine woodlands, while the Cooper’s hawk has adapted to fragmented, surburban areas. This migration is spurred on … A stream of migrating bald eagles can be twenty to thirty miles long, with birds spread out about a half mile apart. Provide the nest code (e.g., nest identifier BE214A) from the Maine Field Office's Bald Eagle Map Tool in the "Notes / Documentation" column of the species summary table. Continue to Step 5. Fish. A fourth, the rough-legged hawk, is an occasional visitor during winter. Several owls appear in greater numbers as winter visitors to Maine during food shortages in their breeding grounds across northern Canada and Alaska. The Kestrels and merlins are broadly distributed but occur at low density; neither has a special status in Maine. Both species are protected by the Federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act). The broad-winged hawk is our smallest buteo in Maine. The turkey vulture is now widespread across Maine but was first documented as a breeding bird in the 1970s. Females are larger than males (to varying degrees) amongst raptors. The widespread use of DDT between the 1940s and 1970s is widely viewed as the main cause of the decline of bald eagles in Washington and the other 48 states, though direct extirpation and habitat alteration are also known causes (Stalmaster 1987). Except in midwinter, at least 2,000 bald eagles can be found across the state. The term “raptor” is derived from the Latin “rapere” meaning “to seize or take by force. Three species reside in North America. Look for subtle differences in the head feathering and contour of the tail feathers. For the most part, bald eagles can withstand cooler temperatures. Golden eagles nested in Maine until 1999, and they still occur during the breeding season and migrate through the State from their nesting areas in eastern Canada to wintering areas in the mid-Atlantic States. Bald eagles, as most everyone knows, are the kind seen around here most of the time. Two are expanding their range in the eastern U. S. and are relatively recent arrivals to Maine. Harriers are often seen soaring low over fields and marshlands where they hunt.