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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	Bald Eagle	Swamp Harrier
Scientific Name	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Circus approximans
Order	Accipitriformes	Accipitriformes
Family	Accipitridae	Accipitridae
Conservation Status	Least Concern	Least Concern
Length	79.0 cm (31.1 in)	—
Wingspan	203.0 cm (79.9 in)	81.4 cm (32.0 in)
Weight	4300.0 g (151.68 oz)	708.5 g (24.99 oz)
Diet	Primarily fish, also waterfowl, small mammals, and carrion. Hunts by swooping down to snatch fish …	--
Clutch Size	1-4	3-4
Population Trend	—	—

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Size Comparison

Body Length

Bald Eagle 79.0 cm

Swamp Harrier —

Wingspan

Bald Eagle 203.0 cm

Swamp Harrier 81.4 cm

Weight

Bald Eagle 4300.0 g

Swamp Harrier 708.5 g

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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

🏖️ Coastal 🌾 Grassland 🌿 Wetland

Bald Eagle only

🌲 Forest

Swamp Harrier only

None

Bald Eagle

Large bodies of open water including coasts, rivers, and lakes with abundant fish and old-growth trees for nesting.

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Song & Call Comparison

Bald Eagle

Song

High-pitched, chattering whistle: a rapid 'kleek-kik-ik-ik-ik'. Surprisingly weak and thin for such a large raptor. Also gives a lower 'kwit-kwit' call near the nest.

Swamp Harrier

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Geographic Range & Migration

Bald Eagle

North America from Alaska and Canada through the contiguous United States to northern Mexico.

Swamp Harrier

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Bald Eagle

Least Concern

Swamp Harrier

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How to Tell Them Apart

Bald Eagle

Plumage

Adults have a dark brown body with a striking white head and tail. Juveniles are mottled brown and white, reaching full adult plumage at age five.

Bill

Large, hooked, bright yellow bill

Swamp Harrier

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About These Birds

Bald Eagle

The bald eagle is the national bird and symbol of the United States. Once endangered due to DDT pesticide use, it made a remarkable recovery and was removed from the endangered species list in 2007. These powerful raptors build the largest tree nests of any bird, some weighing over two tons.

Swamp Harrier

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Related Comparisons

Bald Eagle vs Griffon Vulture

same-family

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More Birds to Explore

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African Cuckoo-hawk Aviceda cuculoides African Fish-eagle Haliaeetus vocifer African Goshawk Accipiter tachiro African Harrier-hawk Polyboroides typus All Accipitridae birds →

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