Juvenile Bald Eagles are less of a symbol than the adult Bald Eagles with their distinguished white heads. However, I think the colouring of the juvenile as they grow into adults can really be quite beautiful. I love the different shades of browns mixed with whites on this particular eagle.

It takes Bald Eagles five years before they have a fully white head and tail, with them becoming more white year-over-year until they are fully white. This is also the same time in which they become sexually mature. What is often overlooked is that the beaks of Bald Eagles are also changing colour during this time as well, going from black to yellow, and their eyes from brown to pale yellow. You can see on this one that its beak is half yellow and half brown, but its eyes are almost completely pale yellow.

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Taken: August 5, 2016
Location: Fishing Grizzlies of the Taku, British Columbia

Camera: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
Lens: Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4x III Ext
Focal Length: 700mm
Aperture: f/6.3
ISO: 12800
Exposure: 1/1600