Description

Photo Courtesy of Richard Wise

Although smaller than northern eagles, the Southern Bald Eagle weighs 8-10 pounds with a wingspan of 6-7 feet.  Females are larger than males, as with most raptors.  The head and tails of adult eagles are white and their bodies are dark brown.  Their eyes, feet and bill are yellow.  Juveniles do not yet have the white head and tail, and are brown with scattered white feathers

Diet

Bald eagles are primarily fish eaters, preying occasionally on small mammals and carrion.  Eagles have been seen feeding on roadside kill alongside vultures.

Breeding

Bald eagle nesting season runs from October 1st until the eaglets fledge, which is typically around May 15th of the following year.  Eagles mate for life and use the same site year after year, if the territory is available.  In Florida, the eagles who migrate usually return in late September or early October.  Cape Coral’s bald eagles have been seen in their nest territory in summer as well. 

One to three eggs are laid between late November and early January.  The young eaglets hatch 32-34 days later and leave the nest in 11-12 weeks, usually by mid-May. The young birds wander northward as far as Canada and return by adulthood at 4-5 years of age.  They find mates and initiate breeding in the vicinity where they were originally hatched.  It is not known how many eagles survive the first 4-5 years of life, but juvenile mortality is probably high as with most birds.

Questions
The following units (specific sections of Cape Coral) may be affected by eagle management zones:

28, 50, 54, 63, 70, 89, 92, 94, 95

Property owners, property buyers, real estate agents and contractors are encouraged to query the City website at http://capeims.capecoral.net/ to see if the parcel is located within an eagle management zone.  Please check to see if the property falls within an eagle zone prior to purchasing property, applying for a building permit or obtaining a construction loan.  Contact the Planning and Growth Management Division at (239)574-0589 with any questions regarding eagle nest management zones.  

Anyone with questions can direct them to the City of Cape Coral’s Planning and Growth Management Division at (239)574-0589.

Malicious destruction of bald eagle nest sites or harassment of eagles should be reported to the City of Cape Coral, Planning and Growth Management Division at (239)574-0589 or Wildlife Alert at 1-888-404-3922.

If you see a sick or injured eagle, please report it to the Planning and Growth Management Division or C.R.O.W. (Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife) at (239)472-3644.