Bald Eagle age from band
Contributors to this thread:General Topic
From: JohnMC
25-Oct-21
So yesterday when out hunting mid day driving from one spot to another, I spot this Bald Eagle. I noticed he has bands on legs. So I snap a few photos. This morning I put them on computer and zoom in on bands. I was able to read the numbers. So I hop on the World Wide Web and go to ‘Banded Bird Encounter Reporting’. Type in the information. Soon get the email I’ll put in second post.
From: JohnMC
25-Oct-21
Turns out it was banded in 1998. That would make it 23 years old. I’d been a senior in college at the time.
I guess they can live to be up to about 30 in the wild. I thought it was pretty cool that I could see it, photograph, read the numbers, report, and then get info back on when banded.
From: LINK
25-Oct-21
That is pretty cool.
From: Rgiesey
25-Oct-21
That is cool
From: t-roy
25-Oct-21
Very interesting! Thanks for sharing, John.
From: tacklebox
25-Oct-21
Way neat!!
From: Supernaut
25-Oct-21
Wow, that really is cool and I had no idea they lived that long!
Bald eagles are very rare to see here in Southwestern PA but there seem to be more and more around. I had a rare treat of seeing a mature bird on a jobsite near Waynesburg, PA a few weeks ago.
Merica!
From: goelk
25-Oct-21
Wow i had no idea they live that long too. Pretty cool
From: goelk
25-Oct-21
Wow i had no idea they live that long too. Pretty cool
From: Bou'bound
25-Oct-21
That bird doesn’t look a day over 21
From: Southern draw
25-Oct-21
Cool
From: Southern draw
25-Oct-21
Cool
From: JL
25-Oct-21
Pretty impressive your lens could get the band numbers! That's a cool story. It would be cool to know where it was banded at and far it moved from the nesting grounds.
From: Habitat
25-Oct-21
You will probably get a phone call shortly wanting to know how you read number. Very cool
From: JohnMC
25-Oct-21
JL it does say it was in banded in CO but not specifically where.
From: APauls
25-Oct-21
That's super cool! Thanks for sharing!
From: JohnMC
25-Oct-21
Habitat when reporting it ask how number was obtained. One was photographed alive. So that is very much info they wanted to know. I marked other and wrote in shot at night with spotlight. ;) J/K J/K
From: HUNT MAN
25-Oct-21
Amazing
From: Ucsdryder
25-Oct-21
Super cool!!!
From: Treeline
25-Oct-21
Really cool!
Hopefully someone will get the video of the FBI coming in to arrest John in a few days for being a wise ass ;-)
From: JL
25-Oct-21
John...anyway to follow up with them and get the specific nesting location.
From: brettpsu
25-Oct-21
Way cool!
From: JohnMC
25-Oct-21
JL Possibly but have you ever tried to get additional information from the government?
From: JohnMC
25-Oct-21
Here is a picture of the band zoomed in on. I had to piece it together with a couple pictures to get full number. He flew of at one point then re-landed giving be a different angle.
From: JohnMC
25-Oct-21
Lets try that again....I got some random picture I have never seen before. How does that happen???
It is amazing how much a clearer a picture is on bowsite looking at a computer vs a phone. Or maybe I should say how unclear a picture on bowsite is when looking at it on a cell phone.
From: BigOk
25-Oct-21
Very interesting, thanks for sharing.
From: BigOk
25-Oct-21
Very interesting, thanks for sharing.
From: White Falcon
25-Oct-21
Thanks.
From: lewis
25-Oct-21
Very cool thanks for sharing with us picture quality is unbelievable Lewis
From: Glunt@work
25-Oct-21
Bowsite automatically reduces resolution on the mobile side more than when viewed on a computer.
From: Habitat for Wildlife
25-Oct-21
That is very cool! I had a close encounter with one in MO two weekends ago and that I was very lucky, but this is so awesome!
From: KSflatlander
25-Oct-21
Very cool pictures.
From: JL
25-Oct-21
That one has a set of hooks on it for sure.
From: hunt'n addict
25-Oct-21
That's supper cool. Thanks for sharing.
From: JohnMC
25-Oct-21
Before or RAW image from camera converted to Jpeg
Before or RAW image from camera converted to Jpeg
I'll show you all the magic of shooting in RAW and processing a picture in light room. This is the same picture before and after running it through lightroom. I am not a fan of wildlife pictures with things in them such as this electric pole and line. But sometimes that what you get.
From: JohnMC
25-Oct-21
After editing in Lightroom
After editing in Lightroom
From: hawkeye in PA
25-Oct-21
Thanks for posting the pictures and the information.
From: Rob in VT
25-Oct-21
That’s really cool!
From: Willieboat
25-Oct-21
Really cool !
From: Dale06
25-Oct-21
Thanks for sharing the pic and info on the eagle.
From: Empty Freezer
25-Oct-21
That is awesome. Thanks for sharing. Now every time i see an eagle ill be looking for bands.
From: pirogue
25-Oct-21
Thanks for sharing
From: JohnMC
25-Oct-21
Empty wouldn’t they be cool on the lanyard of your Bald Eagle calls! ;)
From: Glunt@work
25-Oct-21
Pretty neat. Raptors all being arbitrarily protected is poor management. Of course I grew up reading Elmer Keith books :^)
From: Zbone
25-Oct-21
That's pretty cool.... John, you have a link to the Banding site?... Thanks...
That's funny Glunt, I too luved Elmer Keith...8^) Wonder if he kept any of the talons...8^) Better yet, would have made cool fletching had he bowhunted...8^)
From: JohnMC
25-Oct-21
JohnMC's Link
Zbone that is it:
From: badbull
25-Oct-21
Seems like it would be pretty rare for a random photographer to get a photo of a band that could be read on a live eagle. I'd bet that they were surprised to get it. Good work !.......Badbull
From: Zbone
25-Oct-21
Thanks John...
From: timex
25-Oct-21
Very cool thanks for sharing. I'm on the coast in va lots of bald eagles here. I drive a roll off trash container truck & am always at the landfill. Kinda sad to watch such a majestic bird fighting with buzzards & seagulls for food scraps.
From: Glunt@work
26-Oct-21
I worked on a ranch in WY and a USFW gal was camped out studying a pair of bald eagles. I stopped by one day and she was sort of frustrated. She had been sitting in a blind she made on the river almost all day for a few days trying to get pics of them fishing. I let her know they had been eating on a road kill everyday.
From: badguybuster
26-Oct-21
You sure wouldnt want to get grabbed by those talons.... dang!!!
From: sitO
26-Oct-21
Pretty cool, I wonder what their expected longevity is...and or how long they can live? Would have expected less, I'll do the Google.
Edit: A. Typically in the wild probably between 20-30 years. Some eagles in captivity have lived up to 50 years, but in the wild they would not live as long.
From: DanaC
26-Oct-21
Great picture and story, thanks for sharing.
From: iceman
26-Oct-21
That interesting stuff right there, Thanks for sharing
From: M.Pauls
26-Oct-21
Incredible!! Thanks for sharing
Btw, I’ve got some deer’s teeth I need you to take some photos of
From: JohnMC
26-Oct-21
Matt I don't think you are going to age deer teeth from a photo. Maybe you can catch them as fawn and put a band on their legs and age them that way. ;)
From: ben h
26-Oct-21
That's pretty cool. I have a bunch of bands from geese, but very few from ducks, and I've never seen a banded eagle (or shot one). If you were a senior in 1998, you are a punk ass kid though. Just kidding, love the photos; thanks.
From: JohnMC
26-Oct-21
Ben I was senior in college. High school senior in 95’
From: Nocturnal II
26-Oct-21
Very cool!
From: ben h
26-Oct-21
I stand corrected, you said senior in college. Well done.
From: midwest
26-Oct-21
I heard they taste like chicken!
Very cool, John!
From: Z Barebow
26-Oct-21
I like the younger bald eagles. They have better flavor and aren't as tough.
From: Z Barebow
26-Oct-21
If I get audited by the IRS and they initiate a cavity search,,,,,,, you know what happened.
From: Bake
26-Oct-21
That is really cool. Quite a few eagles around where I live in the last 10 years or so. Fun to watch.
I got on a new duck lease this year with some guys that don't know me. They were shown a picture of an ostrich I killed this year and said something like "What do you do with an ostrich?"
I said "Tastes just like bald eagle." Then I had to some explaining so they didn't take that as a real statement :)
From: Boatman71
26-Oct-21
Just saw one flying over town on my way for lunch ;-)
From: JohnMC
26-Oct-21
Bring a crappie back to the nest.
Bring a crappie back to the nest.
Bring back what I think was a gizzard shad back to next.
Bring back what I think was a gizzard shad back to next.
We have got lots of eagles around here especially over the winter and into the spring. Including several pairs that nest. These pictures were at a nest with a trail that go next to it and they are use to people enough that you really can get some cool photos.
From: deerhunter72
26-Oct-21
That is really cool! Never knew that they lived that long. We are fortunate in my area to be seeing eagles pretty regularly the last few years. I'll never forget the first time I saw one about 10 years ago, so majestic.
From: Shaft
26-Oct-21
I never knew they could live that long. I have a tree stand that is 150 yds from a bald eagle nest. I saw three from my tree stand the other day, and then saw two other bald eagles sitting near another nesting site on my drive home. 5 in one day, very majestic looking birds.
From: badbull
26-Oct-21
You are quite the photographer. Wondering what you are going to show us next. These photos are very interesting.
From: JohnMC
26-Oct-21
Badbull I have got a great collection of nudes of myself I could post them up. Maybe with what the score theme??
I post up quite a few on Instagram don’t worry no nudes, you can see some there. john_cannonoutdoorphotos
From: ki-ke
27-Oct-21
Great pic and better story! Thanks for sharing
From: JohnMC
08-Nov-21
Just got this in a email. Looks like eagle was banded near Elevenmile Canyon reservoir.
From: Zbone
09-Nov-21
That's pretty cool John, thanks for sharing...
From: Grey Ghost
09-Nov-21
I think I'm most impressed by John's camera being able to pick up enough detail to read the numbers on the bands.
Let's see, 1998, I was 37 years old and in the thick of my career when this bird was a hatchling. That's way cool.
Matt
From: Bowfinatic
09-Nov-21
Really nest No idea they lived that long either
From: bentstick54
09-Nov-21
Super nice.
From: txhunter58
10-Nov-21
Really awesome photos/info.
But the most impressive thing is John finished College in 3 years!
From: JohnMC
10-Nov-21
Txhunter - 3 1/2 years but did a double major and worked about 30 hours a week. And found time to drink beer and chase a few college girls. Good times!
From: Paul@thefort
10-Nov-21
John, I sent you two more PM. Paul
From: JohnMC
11-Nov-21
Another quick update. Paul Navarre tracked down/stalked ;) the Liza who banned bird in 1998. She said she would like to see pictures, so I have emailed her. Kind of cool conclusion to story. Thanks Paul for finding her.
From: Paul@thefort
11-Nov-21
My pleasure John. So that eaglet was in the nest when banded in 1998, and that tree/nest was very near Spinney Mt Res. Good trout fishing for the eagles.
