How do eagles find their old nest?
A. Since the nests are so large, it’s probably pretty easy, especially if they haven’t gone too far! I suspect though, that you are asking about birds that migrate long distances to and from their nests. In that case, since eagles are diurnal (daytime) fliers, we believe they use familiar landmarks to guide them to the general area, and once there, use more familiar and specific cues to find their particular lake and then the nest tree. Such cues as extensive mountain ranges or large water bodies or the coastline might first be used. These birds obviously “store” great amounts of information or “memory” of the landscapes in their lives, as they easily move 50 – 100 miles in a winter day in search of food.
