Home sapiens have the most distinct physical features that can differentiate a man from a woman, an adult from a child, an elderly from a newborn. All other animals, including mammals and birds, reptiles and fishes, have subtler differences. You can definitely observe the difference between a very young and an old animal but you may not be able to identify the difference in sex. Perhaps birds and fishes too are incapable of understanding the differences in sex among humans.
Fortunately, biologists who have worked hard over the years and studied the physiology of bald eagles have put together a foundation that can be used to observe the difference between male and female bald eagles.
Difference Between Male and Female Bald Eagles
Let us begin with a caveat. You cannot observe or spot the difference between male and female bald eagles from a distance. You cannot do anything if they are up in the sky, flying and soaring much beyond your reckoning. You may even fail to recognize them in a fleeting moment. The male and female bald eagles look identical. You have to look closely or observe with a greater sense of knowing. Look where you must and you would spot the difference between male and female bald eagles.
Female bald eagles are considerably larger than male bald eagles. Quite expectedly, they are also heavier. This is true for many animals, including raptors. Females are heavier and bigger than males, unlike humans. Usually, female bald eagles will have a body length of thirty five inches to thirty seven inches. Male bald eagles are usually thirty inches to thirty four inches in length.
Male and female bald eagles both have four talons. Three talons are at the front and one is in the back of their toe. But the talon at the back or what is known as hallux is usually much longer for female bald eagles. If you can manage to observe the talon length, then you can easily spot the difference between male and female bald eagles. Another noticeable difference is the length of the beak or bill. Some people will call it beak depth. The male bald eagles have shorter or smaller beaks. The length of the beak is measured from the top or the protruding end to the chin of the eagle. Female bald eagles have an audibly lower voice than the male bald eagles. The pitch difference between male and female bald eagles can be easily observed.
