Uh-oh…he sees us! The arrival of winter weather has sent the last migrants south by the hundreds. Our Golden Eagles are back on their Driftless wintering grounds and Bald Eagles are pouring through the Flyway, gathering in large multi-age groups as they go. The Diction-aerie lists ‘convocation’ for ‘a group of eagles’, but watchers have also suggested quarrel, rabbler (as in rabble), congress, recess, carnival, rave, gawk, confusion, scrum, and frat party! Foraging in large groups helps any given eagle find food with less effort, even though it might lose a meal and will spend a lot more time sorting out the pecking order. More on fission/fusion behavior here: https://www.raptorresource.org/2023/12/07/bald-eagles-a-fission-fusion-species/ and winter survival here! https://www.raptorresource.org/2024/01/20/flashback-blog-how-do-eagles-stay-warm-in-cold-weather/.
Now is a good time to watch the Flyway and practice your Bald Eagle age ID skills! This video has two adults – and note how the larger female enforces a perching hierarchy – a subadult that is probably in its third year of life, a new adult (white head but some dark on the face) and (I think) two juveniles, although one might be in plumage A and the other might be in plumage B.
The Raptor Resource Project