Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Identification. A massive raptor with a white head and tail, dark brown body, and yellow beak in adults. Immatures are mottled brown and white and can be confused with Golden Eagles or large hawks at distance.
Status in Michigan. Year-round resident, common. Bald Eagles are present in every Michigan county and nest in most of them. Population recovery since the DDT era has been one of the most visible conservation successes in the state. Wintering concentrations form on open water below dams and along Great Lakes shoreline where fishing remains possible through cold months.
Habitat. Large lakes, major rivers, Great Lakes shoreline with mature trees for nesting. Wintering birds concentrate at dam tailwaters with open water.
Where to find Bald Eagle. Best winter viewing at the Mio Dam tailwater on the AuSable River, along the Detroit River south of Detroit, and at Tippy Dam on the Manistee River. Breeding nests are visible from public roads in most counties.
Best Michigan counties for Bald Eagle. Iosco, Bay, Wayne, Monroe, Mason. Click any county above to see recent Bald Eagle sightings and hotspot information.
Conservation. Removed from the federal endangered species list in 2007 after one of the most consequential pesticide-driven recoveries in North American conservation history. Still protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
The sightings table below this section pulls live Bald Eagle reports from eBird across all 83 Michigan counties, refreshed every 15 minutes. For comprehensive historical records and global range information, the eBird species profile and Cornell Lab of Ornithology Birds of the World account are the authoritative references.
Edited by Chris Izworski, Bay City, Michigan. Sightings data from eBird, updated every 15 minutes.