Singing eagle?

February 17, 2021 by Mike Powell

Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) never seem happy and frequently look fierce or even angry. OK, I know that I am sometimes guilty of anthropomorphism, attributing human traits, emotions, or intentions to my wildlife subjects. How can you tell if an eagle is happy when their massive inflexible beaks make them physically incapable of a smile?

We often consider music to be a signal of happiness and songbirds sound happy. What about eagles—can they sing? I usually think of eagles as “screaming” rather than “singing,” but this image that I captured last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge makes me wonder if eagles can express their joy or their love in their songs.

What do you think? Does this eagle look happy to you?

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter | Tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 50D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, singing eagle, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA | 28 Comments

28 Responses

on February 17, 2021 at 8:54 am | Reply Dan Antion

He does look happy, Mike.
on February 17, 2021 at 8:57 am | Reply shoreacres

I think he’s saying, “Good gosh, I’m glad I don’t live in Texas!”
- on February 17, 2021 at 12:19 pm | Reply Jazz Jaeschke
  
  Amen! (From NW Austin TX)
  - on February 17, 2021 at 5:30 pm Mike Powell
    
    Yikes. Are you without power? I have some friends in Pflugerville and they have been without power for almost two days, I believe.
on February 17, 2021 at 9:04 am | Reply Mitzy Bricker

Beautifully, happy singing eagle!

Blue Rock Horses Frederick County, Virginia bluerockhorses.com
on February 17, 2021 at 9:17 am | Reply K.L. Hale

It looks like a singing Eagle to me. Great picture, Mike.
on February 17, 2021 at 9:43 am | Reply weisserwatercolours

….hmmmm. He looks hungry, is what he looks, lol.
on February 17, 2021 at 9:48 am | Reply Reed Andariese

Seems like it looks “Happy” to me!
on February 17, 2021 at 10:20 am | Reply long4h2o

I can hear: “Oh what a beautiful day … everything’s going my way …”
Thanks for a cheery post.
on February 17, 2021 at 12:18 pm | Reply Jazz Jaeschke

He looks either happy to see whatever he’s observing … or perhaps just surprised? Either way, delightful image!
on February 17, 2021 at 3:04 pm | Reply krikitarts

It could also be a yawn, but I’d much rather think of it as your catching it in full-throated song–and so I do.
on February 17, 2021 at 3:05 pm | Reply Ms. Liz

Gorgeous blue sky even though you’re in winter!
on February 17, 2021 at 5:33 pm | Reply New Hampshire Garden Solutions

It looks as happy as an eagle can be, just to be alive on such a beautiful day.
- on February 17, 2021 at 6:14 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I think that I may have been smiling at the same time for that very reason. You can’t take good health for granted these days.
  - on February 17, 2021 at 6:54 pm New Hampshire Garden Solutions
    
    True!
on February 17, 2021 at 5:51 pm | Reply sv-anui.com

That eagle looks surprised to me! Good image though, whatever the mood!
- on February 17, 2021 at 6:13 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Chris. Interpreting bird expressions is tough even under the best of circumstances, but fun to attempt nevertheless. I am always curious to see the world through the eyes of others. I never know for sure if my perceptions and interpretations are singular or if they are shared by others.
on February 18, 2021 at 12:43 am | Reply joyroses13

Yes, I think he very well may be singing! 🙂
- on February 18, 2021 at 9:18 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I think it is good to imagine the whole world singing, humans and non-humans alike. 🙂
  - on February 18, 2021 at 10:56 am joyroses13
    
    Makes me think of the old song, “If I could teach the world to sing” 😊
  - on February 18, 2021 at 11:15 am Mike Powell
    
    🙂
on February 18, 2021 at 8:45 am | Reply Timing is everything | Mike Powell

[…] you remember yesterday’s posting with the singing eagle, you can’t help but notice the contrast in the sky colors. On Monday of last week, we had […]
on February 18, 2021 at 5:42 pm | Reply mvschulze

Even with a song …ahh well maybe,”You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…” I still see this Bald Eagle as angry. It’s their EYES! Ever determined and serious. The picture? Great, as usual. M 🙂
- on February 18, 2021 at 7:35 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. The eyes have always been important in expressing emotions and nowadays even more so, when so many people that we see in everyday life are wearing masks.
on February 21, 2021 at 2:05 am | Reply Maves Place

What would be funny if he is singing some kind of operatic number, or Susan Boyle-esque performance!
- on February 21, 2021 at 8:03 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  It is fun to let the imagination run wild. The pose definitely seems opera-esque–I was thinking of something that Pavarotti might perform. 🙂
on March 11, 2021 at 9:29 am | Reply peterawriter

Hi Mike, just so you know, I have tried to follow but my email address is being rejected as invalid. This has happened with a couple of other sites I have tried to follow. Hopefully this comment will get through (using the same rejected email). I have ticked the box below to be informed of future posts, so if this gets through it should have the same effect as a follow
- on March 11, 2021 at 9:37 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Peter. I have really enjoyed hearing you read your poems at poetry reading events that I have attended via Zoom. As the moment I am one of the non-poet “groupies” that you see hanging around the poetry events–I am a friend of Damien Donnelly, who I have actually met in real life in Paris in 2019. I think I am gradually being drawn into the vortex and may find myself attempting to write some poems before long. You can see my initial, very tentative attempt at poetry in my blog posting from late December of last year. https://michaelqpowell.com/2020/12/29/pandemic-poetry/.