Species Account: Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) Kenai Fjords National Park

Tetreau, Michael

There are two subspecies of the bald eagle that are recognized by the scientific community today: a northern race (Haliaeetus leucocephalus alascanus) and a southern race (Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus) (Stalmaster, 1987). The northern race is slightly larger in size and is the one that is found in Kenai Fjords National Park. For an excellent and comprehensive description of the general biology of bald eagles, please refer to The Bald Eagle by Mark Stalmaster (1987). Golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) have also been spotted in the park, both at Exit Glacier and along the coast, but such sightings are rare and this species is not known to be nesting in the park. Distribution in the Park Bald eagles are distributed throughout Kenai Fjords National Park, with the exception of the Harding Icefield and its outlet glaciers. The highest concentration occurs along the park coast, which is the only area of the park for which there is any data regarding this species. The other area of the park where bald eagles are known to exist and nest is the Resurrection River valley, although no surveys have been conducted in that area.