Definitive Moment

With water drops leaving a temporary evidence trail, a bald eagle ((Haliaeetus leucocephalus) with a freshly caught fish in it's talons shows it's... more

by Joy McAdams

Title

Definitive Moment

Artist

Joy McAdams

Medium

Photograph

Description

With water drops leaving a temporary evidence trail, a bald eagle ((Haliaeetus leucocephalus) with a freshly caught fish in it's talons shows it's concentration and glee. Unfortunately the same cannot be said of the gulping fish whose destiny is all but sealed. This image was taken at Kootenay Lake, B.C., Canada.

The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla). Its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico. It is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting.

The bald eagle is an opportunistic feeder which subsists mainly on fish, which it swoops down and snatches from the water with its talons. It builds the largest nest of any North American bird and the largest tree nests ever recorded for any animal species, up to 4 m (13 ft) deep, 2.5 m (8.2 ft) wide, and 1 metric ton (1.1 short tons) in weight.[2] Sexual maturity is attained at the age of four to five years.

Bald eagles are not actually bald; the name derives from an older meaning of the word, "white headed". The adult is mainly brown with a white head and tail. The sexes are identical in plumage, but females are about 25 percent larger than males. The beak is large and hooked. The plumage of the immature is brown.

The bald eagle is both the national bird and national animal of the United States of America. The bald eagle appears on its seal. In the late 20th century it was on the brink of extirpation in the contiguous United States. Populations have since recovered and the species was removed from the U.S. government's list of endangered species on July 12, 1995 and transferred to the list of threatened species. It was removed from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in the Lower 48 States on June 28, 2007,

This image has placed in the following FAA contests:

1st Place- “Birds Of Prey From Around The Globe” contest- Wisconsin Flowers and Scenery Group- Oct. 2022

1st Place: "Raptors In Flight Photography" contest- Go Take A Hike Photography Group- Nov. 2021

1st Place (tie) - “Birds With Fish” contest- Coastal Water Birds-Shore Birds group- Oct. 2021

1st Place (tie) - “Natural History” contest- Dec. 2021

3rd Place 'Eagles In Flight- Photography Only' contest- Go Take a Hike Photography Group- March 2024

Uploaded

September 10th, 2021