The Social Lives and Nesting Habits of Bald Eagles

It’s easy to think of bald eagles as solitary, rugged individualists. We picture their harsh cries as they soar, silhouetted against a perfect blue sky. We envision those hooked beaks belonging to expert hunters, with a piercing eye and noble dignity.

While they might hunt alone, bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) are surprisingly social birds. During breeding, a monogamous pair works together to raise young. And when not breeding, birds of a feather with roost together, hanging out near each other in trees that can host hundreds of the huge predators.

There are plenty of nest cams out there to see eagle parenting in action, but when the eagles come home to roost, you might have to search in person.

Children’s story books would have you believe that birds go home to a nest. That’s only true if the birds in question are parents, explains Bryan Watts, a bird ecologist at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. “A nest is a structure where birds produce young.”

But most wild birds aren’t laying eggs and raising young all year round. Instead, “home” for the night is the place where they land at the end of the day. Many birds prefer to spend their nights in the company of other birds of their species. This gathering of individuals is called a roost.

“Eagles are really social animals,” Watts says. “They look for other individuals.” The biggest roosts can host more than 100 bald eagles, all gathering for the evening in just a few trees. Some roosts are ephemeral, such as a flock of eagles attracted by a fishkill for several days. Others, near more permanent food sources, have been recorded for centuries. Because they are and because roosts are so dependent on food, they can also vary by season. In spring and summer, most of an eagle’s diet is fish. But in fall and winter, “the water temperatures drop, the fish go deeper,” Watts says. Eagles will switch over to waterfowl or head upland to scavenge anything from dead deer to a landfill. The birds tend to settle where they have access to the top of the forest canopy and the open air.

During the breeding season in winter and spring, some bald eagles will pair off to mate, build nests, and guard a territory while they raise their young. In general, eagles mate for life, though like humans they can divorce, and both male and female eagles have been known to be unfaithful from time to time. But it takes two to parent, and a pair will always work together to build their nest.

Bald eagles build the largest tree nests in the world, and birds will return to them year after year. As with roosts, they prefer taller trees that give them space to launch their massive wingspans. Each nest takes one to three months to become move-in ready. Using only feet and beaks, they weave sticks together and fill in cracks with grass or moss, making a massive structure five to six feet across and two to four feet high. Pity the tree they choose—the massive nests can weigh more than a ton.

Eagle pairs come back over and over, adding another foot or two of material to their nest each year. Even once the young are out of the nest, the parents will return throughout the summer, adding greenery to the nest, potentially to keep the nest clean and let other eagles know that the nest is taken. Even once the young are out of the nest, the parents will return throughout the summer, adding greenery to the nest, potentially to keep the nest clean and let other eagles know that the nest is taken.

Since eagle nests are used year after year, many now have cameras attached nearby, allowing scientists and the public to watch eggs get laid and marital dramas take place. The nests offer plenty of drama for viewers, but they offer a lot of scientific insight too.

Scientists can learn why some eggs hatch and others don’t, how nest predators gain access to the eggs or chicks, and even watch eagle marital affairs. All of these offer more insight into the birds, and how their behavior might change as their populations continue to increase.

Here are a few nest cameras currently filled with excitement as eggs are laid and young begin to find their feet.

Think bald eagles only fly over massive canyons or huge, deserted mountaintops? Think again. Duke Farms is an ecosystem restoration project in New Jersey, and a pair of bald eagles moved here in 2004. The camera looks straight down into the nest.

Channel Islands National Park is a set of five islands in a chain of eight off the coast of California. The park has species found nowhere else, and a couple of bald eagle cams as well.

Kisatchie National Forest Nest Cam

The Kisatchie National Forest is Louisiana’s only National Forest. The eagles here nest in tall loblolly pines. In 2025, the pair on their nest cam had two eggs.

Live cameras of roosts are rare since roosts can be temporary. But a patient birder in the right place can still see the huge birds coming and going.

The Klamath basin on the border of Washington and Oregon hosts the largest gathering of bald eagles in the lower 48 states. In winter, the Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuge in the Klamath basin attracts eagles that roost in groups of up to 300. Eagle-eyed watchers can see the birds pour out of the refuge in the mornings on the way to breakfast. Alaska of course boasts many bald eagles, and the town of Unalaska has so many you can spot them roosting on roofs.

On the East Coast, Mason Neck State Park in Virginia has large numbers of bald eagles that have been roosting for centuries, and hosts an annual eagle festival. Maryland’s Conowingo dam also offers a feeding frenzy that attracts plenty of bald eagles—many of whom will roost nearby.

Even if those options are out of reach, where there are dams, plenty of fish, or a landfill, keep an eye out—a bald eagle roost might not be far away.