Differences between Bald-Eagle and Pine-Siskin

Bald-Eagle and Pine-Siskin are two classes of birds that belong to the Accipitridae and Fringillidae families respectively.

Bald Eagle is a type of Sea Eagle with two sub-species. It is a bird of prey with brown plumage and white tail. The bird is not actually bald, it has white colored feather on its head. It is characterized by yellow eyes, beak, and feet. The beak is hooked and is used for capturing the prey and preening. The bird has four toes and talons on each foot. One of the toes faces backwards and helps in holding the prey with extreme grip. According to scientists, the grip of a Bald Eagle is 10 times stronger than that of an average human’s hand. The bird also has exceptional hearing and vision. Bald Eagle is famous as the national bird of the USA.

Pine Siskin is a small song bird. It has a small head, jagged tail, and large body. The plumage is a darker brown on the back and paler brown on the stomach with white patches all over the body. The wings and tails have yellow patches. The bird’s bill is cone-like and pointed. The legs are short and brown with four toes for perching. Pine Siskins are noisy while foraging, flying, and mating. They make raspy and chirpy sounds. They are specially known for the long, harsh twitters they produce.

Where are Bald-Eagle and Pine-Siskin found?

Bald Eagles live around water sources surrounded by forests. They can be found near rivers, reservoirs, lakes, and coasts. They are native to North America. They exist in Mexico, the USA, Alaska, and Canada.

Pine Siskins prefer conifer and deciduous forests. However, they are also found in grasslands, meadows, woodlands, and suburban areas where there are plenty of trees. The bird is native to North America. It travels across Canada, Alaska, and northern USA for breeding and during winters.

What do Bald-Eagle and Pine-Siskin eat?

Bald Eagles chiefly eat fish. They also hunt snakes, turtles, small ducks, gulls, geese, lambs, foxes, dogs, rodents, rabbits, and crabs. These birds are also known to eat dead animals and abduct the prey from other animals.

Pine Siskins are omnivores although they mostly eat seeds such as spruce, thistle, and birch. They eat insects also in summers. An interesting feeding style among Pine Siskins is that they turn upside down while holding on to conifer branches to eat the cones.

Here are a few pointers about the eating patterns between Bald-Eagle and Pine-Siskin

• Bald-Eagle do eat Fish while Pine-Siskin may not eat Fish.
• Bald-Eagle do eat Frogs while Pine-Siskin may not eat Frogs.
• Bald-Eagle do eat Lizards while Pine-Siskin may not eat Lizards.
• Bald-Eagle do eat Snakes while Pine-Siskin may not eat Snakes.
• Bald-Eagle do eat Turtles while Pine-Siskin may not eat Turtles.
• Bald-Eagle do eat Squirrels while Pine-Siskin may not eat Squirrels.
• Gophers are commonly eaten by Bald-Eagle while Pine-Siskin do not eat Gophers.
• Baby Ducks are commonly eaten by Bald-Eagle while Pine-Siskin do not eat Baby Ducks.
• Bald-Eagle do eat Mice while Pine-Siskin may not eat Mice.

Size of Bald-Eagle and Pine-Siskin?

When it comes to size, The overall size of a Bald Eagle is 2.8-3.5 feet. It has a wingspan of six to eight feet.. Pine Siskins are 4.3-5.5 inches long. Their wingspan averages between 7.1-8.7 inches.

Bald Eagles are enormous birds. They weigh 7-15 pounds. while Pine Siskins are tiny birds that weigh 0.42-0.63 ounces.

Where do Bald-Eagle and Pine-Siskin nest?

Bald Eagles build the largest nests among all birds in the world. Known as eyries, these nests are four to five feet wide and about two feet deep. They weight up to one ton. Some nests can be double this size. They are made by interweaving sticks and branches, while soft material like grass, feathers, and moss are used inside. Nests are generally positioned on top of large trees in the vicinity of water sources. The eggs are a pale white and shaped oval. Both partners share the task of incubating the eggs for about 35 days. The young ones fledge when they are eight to 14 weeks old.

The nests of Pine Siskins are large and shaped like cups. They are covertly placed on horizontal branches of trees, mostly conifers. The female bird constructs the nests with pieces of barks, twigs, grass, and leaves. They are lined with moss, feathers, and plant material. Pine Siskin eggs are bluish green with brown markings. The female lays two to six of them and incubates them continuously for 13 days while being fed by her partner. The parents feed the young ones through regurgitation. The chicks will be able to fledge in two weeks.

How long do Bald-Eagle and Pine-Siskin live?

The average lifespan of Bald Eagles is 20-30 years in the wild. Their life is threatened by illegal hunting, lead poisoning, electrocution, and loss of habitat. The oldest lived Bald Eagle was 38 years old. It died in 2015 due to collision with a car.

The average lifespan of Pine Siskins is five to six years. The oldest known bird lived for over nine years in North Carolina.

Are Bald-Eagle or Pine-Siskin migratory birds?

Bald Eagles usually reside in their territories throughout the year. The ones living in Canada and Alaska travel south to spend the winters in central and southern parts of USA.

Pine Siskins exhibit erratic migratory behavior. Their travel depends on the condition of cone crops in their habitats. In winters, they may either migrate in large flocks to the south, east, or west of North America or stay on in their territories.

Do Bald-Eagle and Pine-Siskin fly in flocks?

A flock of Bald Eagles is called a congregation or convocation. The birds are solitary. In winters, they may roost in groups to keep themselves warm. They fly alone even during migration.

Pine Siskins are sociable birds. They live communally in large groups, making loud calls and sounds. They forage in trees and shrubs along with their flock, flying together from one tree to another. The birds are also known to migrate in large flocks consisting of many thousands. Pine Siskins are social even during the breeding season. Although they are territorial, the birds turn up at each other’s nests.

Are Bald-Eagle or Pine-Siskin protected?

Bald Eagles are protected in the USA under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The laws prohibit harming and killing the birds or owning their body parts. The birds are also protected in Canada.

Pine Siskins are protected under the Migratory Bird Act in USA. They are also protected by law in Canada.

Are Bald-Eagle or Pine-Siskin endangered?

The population of Bald Eagles had declining to about 450 nesting pairs in 1960s in the USA. The bird was listed as endangered in 1978. However, the banning of DDT and other conservation efforts have yielded good results. With an increase in the numbers of Bald Eagles to about 4,500 nesting pairs in 1995, the species was re-classified as threatened. With further increase in their population to over 6,300 nesting pairs in 2000, the species has been removed from the endangered and threatened species list.

Pine Siskins are not endangered, neither are they threatened. However, their population is on a downfall. The birds face threats from getting infected while flying in huge flocks, falling sick from bird feeders at people’s backyards, poisoning from pesticides, and dehydration.

Can Bald-Eagle and Pine-Siskin fly?

Bald Eagles fly by soaring high with the use of thermals and wind currents. They manage their speed by altering the position of their wings. During long migration, the birds rarely flap their wings in order to conserve energy. The average flying speed of Bald Eagles is 75-100 miles an hour.

The flight of Pine Siskins is marked by their swift take off. The yellow blotches on the wings are flaunted as the birds fly with their head stuck out and legs folded. Pine Siskins fly boisterously in flocks, making different patterns to save energy.

Can Bald-Eagle and Pine-Siskin swim?

Bald Eagles can swim but seldom do. They are mostly airborne birds. They also dive into water to catch their prey.

Pine Siskins are not water birds. However, they may get into water for bathing and drinking.

Mating patterns among Bald-Eagle and Pine-Siskin

Bald Eagles reach sexual maturity when they are four or five years old. During the breeding season, the birds become aggressive to defend their territory. Of their mating rituals, the prominent is the cartwheel courtship flight where the male and female soar high, lock their talons, and fall to the ground in a cartwheel spin. They also chase each other and perform aerial dances. The partners may copulate more than once a day. When the eggs are laid, both male and female take turns to incubate them for 34-36 days. The partners also share the responsibility of feeding and protecting the young ones. The eaglets are ready to fledge when they are about 12 weeks old.

Pine Siskins attain sexual maturity before they turn one. The birds move to conifer or deciduous forests for breeding. During courtship, the male encircles the female by flight. He keeps his wings and tails spread out. The male also perches on top of trees and sings to attract the attention of the female. The female coos back when she has accepted the offer to mate. The partners also sing sophisticated notes during copulation. In another courtship behavior, the male fetches food and feeds it to the female. The female Pine Siskin generally raises two broods every season, laying three to six eggs in each clutch. She incubates the eggs in insulated nests, breeding continuously with her partner feeding her for all the 13 days. The partners also co-operate in feeding the young ones and guarding the nests.

When is the mating season for Bald-Eagle and Pine-Siskin ?

Bald Eagles in the south-eastern regions of USA start mating in October and pursue till February-March. For the birds in western states, mating season commences in January.

Pine Siskins begin courtship in January-February. The mating season could extend up to spring and summer depending on the availability of food in the vicinity. The birds not always return to the same breeding site every year.

Do Bald-Eagle and Pine-Siskin mate for life?

Bald Eagles are monogamous. Not only do they mate for life, they also make caring partners and parents.

Pine Siskins are monogamous and loyal to their partners during the nesting season. They form pairs during winters.

How do Bald-Eagle and Pine-Siskin sleep?

Bald Eagles roost communally during winters. They sleep on large trees to stay sheltered from severe wind and cold. During the breeding season, they sleep closer to the nests. The birds have a locking mechanism in their legs that allows them to maintain their standing posture while asleep.

Pine Siskins sleep on concealed branches of conifer trees, typically 10-20 feet above the ground. They mostly roost in groups. During the breeding season, the female sleeps at the nesting site.

Can Bald-Eagle and Pine-Siskin be eaten?

Bald Eagles were eaten in ancient times by Hare, Tlingit, and few other communities. However, modern laws do not permit killing and consumption of the birds.

Pine Siskins are protected by law. It is illegal to kill them for meat.

Can you hunt Bald-Eagle or Pine-Siskin?

Archaic cultures hunted Bald Eagles for food by using bows and arrows, hooks, and traps. Subsequently, they were hunted for sport and their feathers. Owing to a reduction in their population, laws have been passed prohibiting any form of killing and hunting of the birds.

Pine Siskins are not known to be hunted by humans. In recent times, there are laws that protect the birds from any harm or hunting.

Can you feed Bald-Eagle or Pine-Siskin?

Feeding Bald Eagles in public is forbidden in the USA and Canada. In captivity, the birds are given whole fish, rats, guinea pigs, and chicken.

It is a common practice for people to leave food for birds in the feeders at their backyards. Pine Siskins are also maintained at zoos and wildlife parks. The best feeds to offer these birds is seeds, millets, and vegetables.