Northern Bald Eagle (immature)

Description:

* "The plumage of an adult Bald Eagle is evenly brown with a white head and tail. The tail is moderately long and slightly wedge-shaped. Males and females are identical in plumage coloration, but sexual dimorphism is evident in the species in that females are 25 percent larger than males.[2] The beak, feet and irides are bright yellow. The legs are feather-free, and the toes are short and powerful with large talons. The highly developed talon of the hind toe is used to pierce the vital areas of prey while it is held immobile by the front toes. The beak is large and hooked, with a yellow cere The plumage of the immature is brown, speckled with white until the fifth (rarely fourth, very rarely third) year, when it reaches sexual maturity." * from wikipedia entry

Habitat:

* "most of North America, including most of Canada, all of the continental United States, and northern Mexico. It is the only sea eagle endemic to North America. Occupying varied habitats from the bayous of Louisiana to the Sonoran Desert and the eastern deciduous forests of Quebec and New England" * from wikipedia entry

Notes:

I spotted this eagle while shooting at the Johnson Lake Property in Portland Oregon. Sediment sampling has indicated the presence of PCBs, metals, petroleum, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the lake. PCBs have also been detected in the tissue of fish collected from the lake.