They live to 30 to 40 years in the wild, and longer in captivity. The average lifespan is 15 to 20 years. A captive eagle lived to be at least 48 years old in West Stephentown, New York. Bald eagles die prematurely for various reasons. They are fatally shot for sport or money, electrocuted when they take off or land on power poles and their large wings bridge two wires, lead poisoned from feasting on wounded deer, ducks and other game shot by hunters, killed by eating poisoned meat used to bait wolves and coyotes, killed by ingestion of lead shot and lead fishing sinkers, killed by by mercury, PCBs, dioxins and other chemicals that accumulate in fish, killed by colliding with vehicles, and starved to death when their food is scarce. Habitat destruction through deforestation and flooding of bottomland hardwood ecosystems, as well as human disturbance of nest sites threaten their existence.
What Do Bald Eagles Look Like? – Physical Descriptions
What Do Bald Eagles Eat? – Food Sources and Hunting Habits
Breeding Cycles of Bald Eagles – Mating and Nesting
Migration Patterns of Bald Eagles
Normal Lifespans and Causes of Death for Bald Eagles
Patriotic Poetry – The Eagle as National Emblem
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