Differences between Bald-Eagle and Starling

Bald-Eagle and Starling are two classes of birds that belong to the Accipitridae and Sturnidae 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.

Starlings are resplendent song birds that are short and stout. There are about 110 species of Starlings across the globe. The birds have short tails and flat wings. Their bills are slender, pointed, and yellow. They are fierce, aggressive, greedy, and smart birds. The plumage of these birds is a sparkling purple green during summers, while they turn brown with white spots in winters. The feet are strong and bright orange or brown in color. Starlings are known as noisy birds. They can produce a plethora of sounds, like chirping, chattering, whistling, and rattling. Further, they can imitate the calls of other birds, human voices and words, mobile ringtones, car honks, and several other sounds.

Where are Bald-Eagle and Starling 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.

Starlings are commonly seen in agricultural lands, parks, gardens, grasslands, and cities. The bird is native to Europe and Asia. Having been introduced to other parts of the world, they can also be found in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, North America, Canada, and Caribbean Islands.

What do Bald-Eagle and Starling 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.

Starlings are omnivores. They forage mainly on the ground. So, they chiefly eat larvae, worms, insects, beetles, grasshoppers, snails, seeds, nuts, and fruits.

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

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

Size of Bald-Eagle and Starling?

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.. Starlings are tiny birds. They are about seven to nine inches long with a wingspan of 12-17 inches. Nias Hill Myna is the largest in the family with a length of nearly 14 inches.

Bald Eagles are enormous birds. They weigh 7-15 pounds. while Starlings weigh about 2.04-3.5 ounces. Nias Hill Myna weighs the heaviest among all Starling species at 14 ounces.

Where do Bald-Eagle and Starling 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.

Starlings make their nests in scattered colonies. The nests, made of grass and twigs, are mostly built in holes and cavities of trees and buildings. They are usually located 10 to 30 feet above the ground. The eggs are oval and a soft green or blue in color. The female bird largely incubates the eggs for about 12 days. The chicks get fed by both parents in the nest for three weeks, after which they fledge.

How long do Bald-Eagle and Starling 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 Starlings is two to five years in the wild. They live longer in captivity. The wild birds roost in groups and migrate in winters to extend their lifespan. The life expectancy of Starlings is affected by high mortality of baby birds, scarcity of food, hunting, and predator attacks. The oldest lived starling was nearly 23 years old. It was found in the wild in Denmark.

Are Bald-Eagle or Starling 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.

Migration of Starlings depends on their geography. The ones living high up in the northern hemisphere move southward during winters. In the UK, they relocate from the west coast to the east coast. The birds from North America and Canada usually move to the USA. The Asian species travel from northeastern regions towards the south and west. Some species also stop over in the Middle East and North Africa.

Do Bald-Eagle and Starling 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.

A flock of Starlings is called murmuration. The birds are extremely gregarious and live in large flocks comprising of several hundreds to thousands of birds. Flocking helps the birds to stay safe from predators and keep themselves warm at night. It also gives them an opportunity to communicate with each other about sources of food.

Are Bald-Eagle or Starling 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.

Starlings are not protected in major parts of the world. Only a few countries like the UK and Canada have laws prohibiting harming and hunting of the birds. Starlings are largely considered as pests because they destroy crops like grapes, strawberries, apples, and figs besides many other fruits and seeds. They also consume water and feed kept for livestock, while contaminating the feed with their droppings. To save their crops and livestock from the nuisance, farmers kill Starlings by shooting and poisoning them.

Are Bald-Eagle or Starling 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.

Starlings are not endangered birds. However, their population is falling drastically in several parts of the world, especially the UK.

Can Bald-Eagle and Starling 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 the Starling murmuration is a sight to behold. The birds fly in massive groups that could even consist of over 10,000 birds. The swarm could include other Starling species and other bird species as well. Starlings fly in different patterns to maintain fluid formation. As the birds swoop and swirl, the shift in pattern is seamless, synchronous, and swift. The avian behavior is a result of extreme coordination. Each bird always aligns itself to the immediate seven birds around it. The murmuration is intended to keep the flock safe and intimidate the predators with the enormity. It also helps the birds to conserve energy during long flights. Starlings are known to be able to fly at speeds of 37-50 miles an hour. During migration, they travel up to 620-930 miles in a day.

Can Bald-Eagle and Starling swim?

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

Starlings are not regular swimmers although they can manage to swim. They regularly bathe in water to keep their plumage clean and reduce body temperature in summers.

Mating patterns among Bald-Eagle and Starling

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.

At the onset of the breeding season, the male Starling birds find a nesting location and prepare the base of the nest using grass and leaves. He then perches at the nesting site, singing and waving with his wings to attract the female. The male and female are said to have paired when they partner to complete the construction of the nest and carry out other activities together. The partners raise one to two broods each year. Each clutch typically consists of three to six eggs.

When is the mating season for Bald-Eagle and Starling ?

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.

The mating season for Starlings depends on the geography. Typically, it is during April-June. Starlings could make breeding attempts more than once a year.

Do Bald-Eagle and Starling mate for life?

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

Starlings are monogamous during each breeding season. Nevertheless, the male could look for a mate when his partner is incubating the eggs. Female birds who have not mated during the season could be aggressive towards those who are mating the second time.

How do Bald-Eagle and Starling 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.

Starlings choose roosting sites that are safe from predators and shielded from harsh weather. They tend to sleep more during winters. They sleep for less than five hours in summers and around three hours on full moon nights. When the flocks gather at roosting sites, they perform avian stunts and spend time in communication before resting for the night.

Can Bald-Eagle and Starling 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.

Starlings are widely consumed by people. Their meat is cooked in different ways. They are a regular meal in countries like France. Killing the birds for meat is allowed in several nations.

Can you hunt Bald-Eagle or Starling?

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.

Starlings are not protected in most countries. They are hunted for sport and meat. They are also hunted and killed for the destruction they cause to agricultural lands and livestock.

Can you feed Bald-Eagle or Starling?

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.

Starlings eat worms, berries, and fruits. At agricultural lands and livestock farms, people often have feeding stations for Starlings to prevent them from attacking crops and the feeds reserved for livestock. The birds are fed with peanuts, sunflower seeds, mealworms, egg powder, and leafy greens.