How long do bald eagles live?

Longevity records come from birds that were marked and later found again, usually through bird banding, or from birds kept in zoos. They show what a Bald Eagle can survive to, not what most do. This one comes from captivity, where there are no predators, storms or food shortages, so wild bald eagles rarely come close.

For small birds, the first year is the hardest. Many eggs and nestlings are lost to predators and weather, and young birds that leave the nest still have to learn to find food and avoid hawks and cats. A bird that survives its first winter has a much better chance of living several more years. That is why average lifespans in the wild are short even when the record is long.

Bald eagles usually start breeding at about 4 years old. Each season a pair lays 1–3 eggs and raises 1 per season, with eggs taking 34–36 days to hatch.

Oldest recorded ages for other hawks and eagles on this site.

• Red-tailed Hawk30.7 years
• Red-shouldered Hawk22.4 years
• Sharp-shinned Hawk19.9 years

• Bald Eagle: identification, diet and range
• Baby bald eagles: eggs, nestlings and fledglings