Spectacular, acrobatic flight displays reinforce the bonds between life-long bald eagle pairs.

Mating season - varies greatly by region. In the South it may last from late September through November, while in the Great Plains and Mountain West, it may last from January through March. In Alaska it lasts from late March to early April.

The bald eagle is monogamous, and thought to pair for life, reinforcing the pair bond through spectacular, acrobatic flight displays that include the pair flying to a great height, locking the talons, and cartwheeling towards the ground, only breaking off at the last moment. The breeding season of the bald eagle varies with location, ranging from April to August in Alaska and Canada, to November to March in southern USA. Breeding pairs become highly territorial during this time. The nest is usually built in a large tree, or sometimes on the ground or a cliff. Both sexes help construct the nest, which is built with sticks and lined with grass, moss, seaweed or other vegetation.

The courtship involves a male and female eagle flying into the thermos where they grasp talons then glide in dramatic fashion back down, then break apart when they’re nearing the ground. Afterwards they go to the nest to mate.



Some eagles do not breed every year. Bald eagles are capable of breeding annually from the age of four, but some of the adults, though paired, seem to choose not to breed. It might be an instinctive decision, based on the weather; availability of nesting sites, or food. Because an eagle lives up to 30 years in the wild, it has many years in which to produce offspring.