As with most birds of prey, there is very little to give away the gender when looking at a bald eagle. Male and female bald eagles have identical plumage. Size is the primary visual clue about gender. In many species, like humans, males tend to be bigger than females. For birds of prey, including bald eagles, it is usually the opposite. Female bald eagles are generally bigger than male bald eagles - roughly one-third larger! All eagles have four toes - three facing forward and one facing backward - but there is a gender difference. Females tend to have longer rear-facing claws, or halluxes, and deeper beaks than males have. You might also be able to tell the difference between a male and female by sound. Female bald eagles tend to have a lower pitch than males, which make a sound much like a scream. To learn more about the characteristics of the bald eagle, click on any of the photos or links below. Gender differences || Eyesight || Wings, flight & migration Life stages || Why "bald" eagles? || Nesting & breeding Habitat & Threats || Predators & Predation Terms of Use - Copyright 2009 Central Vermont Public Service Copyright photos CVPS, Floyd Scholz U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife Web related issues