Does anybody know eagles?

[Benny Profane]

I think I saw a couple of bald eagles while I was pumping my gas today in upstate NY. A not too busy place right by the end of the Taconic. Saw two, what I thought were large crows, sort of lightly jousting at low altitude right near the pump, and then they flew off into the trees across the road. Except they had big white tails and white heads. That's a blad eagle, right, if it's that size and shape? Cloudy, dreary day, my eyes suck lately.

[Garth Bimble]

There aren't too many birds that match that description but an eagle is significantly larger than a crow. They winter along the rivers here in SW CO and they're pretty easy to spot, the head/tail is pretty much a dead giveaway.

[babybear]

ospreys have a lot of white on them and like to play around but are smaller
I think eagles are also more widespread now and are in NY so could have been them too- But eagles are big

so the biggest determining factor would be if you thought it was a big ass MF bird? if so it was probably an eagle
'merica

[KQ]

I think I saw a couple of bald eagles while I was pumping my gas today in upstate NY. A not too busy place right by the end of the Taconic. Saw two, what I thought were large crows, sort of lightly jousting at low altitude right near the pump, and then they flew off into the trees across the road. Except they had big white tails and white heads. That's a blad eagle, right, if it's that size and shape? Cloudy, dreary day, my eyes suck lately.

crow compared to eagle:

[Benny Profane]

There aren't too many birds that match that description but an eagle is significantly larger than a crow. They winter along the rivers here in SW CO and they're pretty easy to spot, the head/tail is pretty much a dead giveaway.

We have big crows. Almost as big as that. That's what first made me say, hey, wait.....

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[fatnslow]

I know they like to drink lots of cheap booze away from their wives in a dark and dingy club bar.

[hatchgreenchile]

Balds & goldens have a 6'+ wingspan, they are not a "large crow". That line up with what you saw?
Like Garth said, balds are pretty distinguishable, and they are usually accompanied with "America" by Waylon Jennings playing off in the distance.
We saw a golden doing laps over the Black Canyon of the Gunnison this July - nature stoke level was high!

[KQ]

We have big crows. Almost as big as that. That's what first made me say, hey, wait.....

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LOL!! I can assure you that the American crows you see where you live are not any bigger than crows anywhere else in the US. Maybe you have Ravens which are bigger but given the fact that you couldn't tell a crow from an American Bald Eagle tells me you don't know birds (no offense intended).

[Garth Bimble]

ospreys have a lot of white on them and like to play around but are smaller
I think eagles are also more widespread now and are in NY so could have been them too- But eagles are big

so the biggest determining factor would be if you thought it was a big ass MF bird? if so it was probably an eagle
'merica

Not to go all Marlin Perkins on you but ospreys don't look anything like bald eagles. They're brown/white as opposed to black/white and similar to a crow in size. While they both tend to hang out around open water eagles soar/circle while ospreys hover then dive in to grab their prey. Eagles swoop in and pluck it off the surface, they're not built for diving. We have a mating pair of ospreys at our little local lake...it's pretty cool to watch them in action. We also had an eagle there this summer which I thought was a little weird, they usually go north where it's cooler. I guess if they can find food and a mate it's all good.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

We have big crows. Almost as big as that. That's what first made me say, hey, wait.....

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Do you have Ravens in NY? Bald Eagles are growing in numbers in NY.

[babybear]

Balds & goldens have a 6'+ wingspan, they are not a "large crow". That line up with what you saw?
Like Garth said, balds are pretty distinguishable, and they are usually accompanied with "America" by Waylon Jennings playing off in the distance.
We saw a golden doing laps over the Black Canyon of the Gunnison this July - nature stoke level was high!

Golden eagles are beyond huge
We almost ran into one a couple yrs ago driving between SLC and JH. There was some roadkill on the side of the highway and a golden came down to land on it right as we passed by and I swear just missed it's feathers
I was driving and andrew was in the passenger seat. he said he locked eyes with it for a split second...... bwong!

[Garth Bimble]

We have big crows. Almost as big as that. That's what first made me say, hey, wait.....

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It may be hard to judge from a distance but even the biggest crow is dwarfed by a mature eagle. It's not even close.

[KQ]

Balds & goldens have a 6'+ wingspan, they are not a "large crow". That line up with what you saw?
Like Garth said, balds are pretty distinguishable, and they are usually accompanied with "America" by Waylon Jennings playing off in the distance.
We saw a golden doing laps over the Black Canyon of the Gunnison this July - nature stoke level was high!

Goldens are spectacular! Check this out:

[Benny Profane]

LOL!! I can assure you that the American crows you see where you live are not any bigger than crows anywhere else in the US. Maybe you have Ravens which are bigger but given the fact that you couldn't tell a crow from an American Bald Eagle tells me you don't know birds (no offense intended).

Sheesh, ravens, crows, tomatoes, tomahtoes. Semantics. Big, noisy, nasty black birds.

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[Benny Profane]

Ospreys are water birds. This was far inland.

[Benny Profane]

Do you have Ravens in NY? Bald Eagles are growing in numbers in NY.

Yes, and a lot of buzzards.

[KQ]

Like Garth said, balds are pretty distinguishable, and they are usually accompanied with "America" by Waylon Jennings playing off in the distance.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

I want that silk screened on the back of my ski jacket.

[KQ]

[babybear]

Not to go all Marlin Perkins on you but ospreys don't look anything like bald eagles. They're brown/white as opposed to black/white and similar to a crow in size. While they both tend to hang out around open water eagles soar/circle while ospreys hover then dive in to grab their prey. Eagles swoop in and pluck it off the surface, they're not built for diving. We have a mating pair of ospreys at our little local lake...it's pretty cool to watch them in action. We also had an eagle there this summer which I thought was a little weird, they usually go north where it's cooler. I guess if they can find food and a mate it's all good.

I was giving Benny other possible options of white/brown agile birds in NY. He has bad eyesight and is not sure what he saw
To you and I they dont look anything alike but to non birders they can
Trying to help ID vs being a know it all

[refried]

Not to go all Marlin Perkins on you but ospreys don't look anything like bald eagles. They're brown/white as opposed to black/white and similar to a crow in size. While they both tend to hang out around open water eagles soar/circle while ospreys hover then dive in to grab their prey. Eagles swoop in and pluck it off the surface, they're not built for diving. We have a mating pair of ospreys at our little local lake...it's pretty cool to watch them in action. We also had an eagle there this summer which I thought was a little weird, they usually go north where it's cooler. I guess if they can find food and a mate it's all good.

Eagles always hold their fish across their bodies, Ospreys carry their fish inline, usually head first

A few eagles on the Nooksack river

[Flyoverland Captive]

Ravens get pretty big. Last winter I saw a Bald Eagle and a Raven fighting over roadkill near my house. The Raven held his own.

[Alaskan Rover]

What you saw were almost certainly bald eagles...they have been slowly making a comeback across the east coast...ever since DDT was banned. There are now bald eagles from Florida up to Maine and throughout much of Appalachia. It's damn hard for me to imagine bald eagles in Florida...but they're there - mating pairs.

But damn...you must have HUGE crows to at first think a bald eagle was a "large crow".

The markings of a mature bald eagle are pretty unique.

[Kenny Satch]

[KQ]

Sheesh, ravens, crows, tomatoes, tomahtoes. Semantics. Big, noisy, nasty black birds.

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I ❤ all Corvids