Naturally Speaking
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Photo courtesy of Jerry Davis
Even when members of a pair of Eagles are close to one another, it can be difficult to determine which bird is larger and heavier.
It is not enough to simply say adult male Bald Eagles weigh 25 percent less than female Eagles. Biologists say this feature is an example of reverse sexual dimorphism. In other words, we expect males of a species to be larger than females but in Eagles, Balds and Goldens, the reverse is true.
Otherwise the genders are alike externally and so are most of their habits, including building nests, incubating, feeding, brooding, and bringing food to the Eaglets.
Females generally weigh 10-14 pounds, males a few pounds less but there can be some overlap. Northern birds are heavier, up to 18 pou...
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