Whitefish Point is a great place to learn the immature plumages of the Bald Eagle. Several immature eagles are often seen over the area daily; they are one, two, three, or possibly four years old. Naturally, no juveniles (a bird in its first plumage) are observed in the spring; they have not hatched or fledged yet. However, immatures of various ages provide good identification challenges for a keen birder. The featured photo illustrates an immature Bald Eagle in 4th (or perhaps 5th) basic plumage, i.e., it will wear full adult plumage in the following year. It looks like an adult eagle except for small amounts of dark on the head and tail and white markings on the underwing coverts. As the spring migration of raptors slows down, perhaps in response to unfavorable winds, it is an excellent time to take a closer look at Bald Eagles.

~ Michael Patrikeev
2024 Raptor Counter

Featured photo: Immature Bald Eagle in 4th basic plumage flying over Whitefish Point. Photo by Michael Patrikeev

You can see updates for the 2024 Raptor Count on hawkcount.org, read Michael’s weekly blog post, and follow WPBO’s social media (Facebook, Instagram, and X) for raptor count highlights this season. The raptor count runs March 15 through May 31.

Michael Patrikeev, M.S., is a graduate of St. Petersburg State University (Russia) and studied diurnal birds of prey for his M.S. In later years, he worked at the Lower-Svir Nature Reserve in Russia, and then headed the wildlife inventory section at the Ecological Centre of Azerbaijan. He conducted avifaunal surveys and inventories in the latter country and published “The Birds of Azerbaijan” in 2004. Michael arrived in Canada in 1992 and has since worked for the Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Parks Canada, The Nature Conservancy, and Texas Parks and Wildlife. Michael is semi-retired and works in Canada and the United States for wildlife-related contracts. His private interests include the conservation of tropical birds and amphibians.