Date: 1/17/26 7:37 am From: Barbara J. Goodchild <bjgoodchild...> Subject: Re: [Arlington Birds] Juvenile Bald Eagle at Fresh Pond
Hello, Paul,
Thanks so much for your opinion. I was hoping you would see my post. I
attended a lecture you gave on bald eagles with Arlington Birds at the Fox
Library a few years back. Most people aren't aware of how long it takes for
a bald eagle to get the white head.
It would have helped if I had my binoculars with me, so I will take them
today if I go to Fresh Pond. Someone told me that they saw an adult and
immature bald eagle flying over the Pond two days ago.
Best,
Barbara
On Sat, Jan 17, 2026 at 10:06 AM PAUL ROBERTS <phawk254...> wrote:
> Hi Barbara,
> Thanks for the eagle photo from Fresh Pond, and good to hear from you
> again. The bird looks like a juvenile, which a young eagle can be called
> until it is approximately one year old. (Might also be a dark
> one-year-old.) It is possible to accurately age young eagles (until they
> are at least two, often three) when you see the status of their interrupted
> molt in their secondaries in flight. When they are perched it is almost
> impossible to age them accurately. The color of their soft parts and their
> overall plumage vary greatly; they are helpful but not reliable indicators
> of age. Some eagles (mostly some southern) can achieve full adult plumage
> by three years of age, but most eagles take 4 to 5.5 years to achieve full
> adult plumage. A few retain some limited variable smudging in the
> "refrigerator white" portions of their body long after they achieve
> adulthood.
> If this bird were 4 or approaching 4, typically the head and tail
> would be largely "refrigerator white" with variable smudging and the torso
> dark brown (looking blackish) with "salt and pepper" scattered anywhere,
> especially on the torso and underwings. The beak and eyes would be largely
> or completely yellow.
>
> Best,
> Paul
>
> Paul M. Roberts
> Medford, MA
> <phawk254...>
>
