Date: 1/17/26 7:49 am From: Steven Simpson <steveshrike...> Subject: Re: [Arlington Birds] Juvenile Bald Eagle at Fresh Pond
Y’all:
Hand to God, I was in traffic yesterday at about 7:45 a.m. and saw a large
bird flying toward Trader Joes from the direction of Fresh Pond with that
lazy, floppy wingbeat of an eagle. I said to my wife, “That looks like a
bald eagle, but it’s very dark. Probably a immature.” Pretty good sighting
from the rotary! IMHO.
Steven Simpson
(Arlington)
On Sat, Jan 17, 2026 at 10:37 AM Barbara J. Goodchild <bjgoodchild...>
wrote:
> 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...>
>>
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