Bald Eagle
Bald EagleBald EagleBald EagleBald Eagle

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
10–20% · With luck
overall probability at Shenandoah National Park
1,653 Verified records at Shenandoah National Park
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), which occupies the same niche as the bald eagle in the Palearctic. Its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico. It is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting. The bald eagle is an opportunistic feeder that subsists mainly on fish, upon which it swoops down and snatches from the water with its talons. It builds the largest nest of any North American bird and the largest tree nests ever recorded for any animal species, up to 4 m (13 ft) deep, 2.5 m (8.2 ft) wide, and 1 metric ton (1.1 short tons) in weight. Wikipedia →

10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Bald Eagle sighting in Shenandoah National Park, based on 1,653 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Shenandoah National Park

Red-shouldered Hawk
LC

Red-shouldered Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo lineatus

20–30% · Possible
Red-tailed Hawk
LC Endemic

Red-tailed Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo jamaicensis

10–20% · With luck
Broad-winged Hawk
LC

Broad-winged Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo platypterus

<5% · Rare
Sharp-shinned Hawk
LC Endemic

Sharp-shinned Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Accipiter striatus

<5% · Rare
Hen Harrier
LC

Hen Harrier

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Circus cyaneus

<5% · Rare
Golden Eagle
LC Endemic

Golden Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aquila chrysaetos

<5% · Rare
American Swallow-tailed Kite
LC

American Swallow-tailed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Elanoides forficatus

<5% · Rare
Mississippi Kite
LC

Mississippi Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ictinia mississippiensis

Insufficient data
Turkey Vulture
LC

Turkey Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cathartes aura

40–50% · Likely
Black Vulture
LC

Black Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coragyps atratus

10–20% · With luck
Osprey
LC

Osprey

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pandion haliaetus

5–10% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
10–20
Feb
10–20
Mar
5–10
Apr
5–10
May
5–10
Jun
<5
Jul
5–10
Aug
5–10
Sep
10–20
Oct
10–20
Nov
10–20
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
70–80%
2 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
60–70%
3 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
60–70%
4 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
5 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
6 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
40–50%
7 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
40–50%
8 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
40–50%
9 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
10 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
11 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
12 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
13 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
20–30%
14 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
15 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
16 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
17 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
18 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
19 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
20 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
21 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
22 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
23 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
24 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
25 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
26 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
27 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
28 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
29 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
30 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
31 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
32 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
33 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
34 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
35 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
36 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
37 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
38 Nahanni National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
39 Gates of the Arctic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
40 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
Insufficient data
41 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
42 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Bald Eagle in Shenandoah National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Bald Eagle sighting in Shenandoah National Park, based on 1,653 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Bald Eagle in Shenandoah National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for Bald Eagle in Shenandoah National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Shenandoah National Park