Stunning Photos Capture a Mating Ritual Between Two Life-Long Bald Eagle Pairs

Acrobatic flying displays strengthen the ties between life-long bald eagle pairings.

Mating season varies widely depending on area. It may endure from late September to November in the South, and from January to March in the Great Plains and Mountain West. It lasts from late March until early April in Alaska.

The bald eagle is monogamous and believed to couple for life, cementing the pair connection with stunning, acrobatic flight displays that involve the pair flying to tremendous heights, locking the talons, and cartwheeling towards the ground, only breaking apart at the last second. The bald eagle’s breeding season varies by region, ranging from April to August in Alaska and Canada to November to March in the southern United States. During this period, breeding couples become extremely territorial. The nest is normally built in a huge tree, although it can also be placed on the ground or on a cliff. Both sexes contribute to the construction of the nest, which is made of sticks and coated with grass, moss, seaweed, or other plants.

The courting involves a male and female eagle flying into the thermos, grasping talons, then gliding back down in spectacular manner, breaking apart as they reach the ground. They then return to the nest to mate.

Some eagles do not reproduce each year. Bald eagles may breed annually from the age of four, however some adults, although being coupled, appear to choose not to procreate. It might be an instinctual decision depending on weather, nesting site availability, or food. Because an eagle may live for up to 30 years in the wild, it has plenty of time to reproduce.