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Eagles in Alaska
Bald eagles are commonly found along the coast
Alaska.com
Alaska has three species of eagle.
The bald eagle is found by most visitors, and the golden eagle is seen by people in the Interior.
The Steller sea eagle is rarely seen -- but it leaves an impression on those who do see it.
Bald eagle
Where to find: Bald eagles like to live where there are salmon, which they eat during the summer and fall runs. Look for bald eagles along the coast and slightly inland. Alaska has 30,000 or so bald eagles.
Salmon streams, coastlines and near dumps (they're scavengers, too) are good places to look for bald eagles. Thousands of eagles gather each spring along the Stikine River near Wrangell and Petersburg in the Inside Passage. In the fall, they flock to the Chilkat River near Haines for the late run of chum salmon. In the winter, look on the Homer Spit, where they gather to eat scraps from fish processors.
Tips: Bald eagles are big birds, with a wingspan of up to 7 feet, making it the largest year-round Alaska bird of prey. Viewers sometimes confuse ravens with eagles, but the ravens are smaller and entirely black. Look for eagles gliding overhead, with their distinctive white heads and tails and dark bodies and wings. You'll also find them perching in trees; look for the white head over the large dark body.
Golden eagle
Where to find: Golden eagles are inland birds. Look for them in the Alaska Range, especially at Denali National Park, where they feed on small mammals.
Tips: Golden eagles are brown with wingspans of up to 6.5 feet, making them slightly smaller than bald eagles.
Steller's sea eagle
Where to find: These legendary birds have been spotted near Manokotak, near Dillingham in southwestern Alaska. The area is along Bristol Bay, one of the world's top salmon areas. Sea eagles are migratory birds, coming from Asia.
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