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The bald eagle whether in its wintering habitat or breeding habitat tends
to stay close to a body of water of some sort.  Rivers, lakes or reservoirs
that are away  from any disturbance by humans and can provide both  a
reliable food source and shelter are the areas most often chosen by the
bald eagle. The bald eagle chooses large trees and snags along the
shoreline of a body of water  to use as feeding and loafing perches as well
as potential nest sites. They use large stands of trees, that are free from
any disturbance and provide protection from the winter conditions, as
communal roosting areas during the winter (Stalmaster 1998).

The bald eagles  concentrate in areas where the waters are free of ice and
food is available  during the harsh winter conditions. In the fall and
spring  migration times, the bald eagles may be seen along waterways and
impoundments  throughout the country(Wolfe 1997).

As far as nesting requirements are concerned, the bald eagle is a very
adaptable bird. They have e been known to nest in anything from a hayloft
to a giant cacti to the middle of a bare rock. When the bald eagle examined
at a closer level  than just as a species, we find that they prefer large
dominant vegetation for their nests.  They prefer large tall trees because
this provides good protection from all elements of nature. The fire history
of an area also plays an important role in the location of a nest.  A bald
eagle will choose a particular tree to use as its nest site. The tree
generally has a strong trunk and is alive. They generally do not nest in
dead trees. The tree that is chosen generally has a good deep crotch to
build the nest in so that it is protected from the elements. The upper
limbs may be broken, but are generally still alive. The nest tree most
often has a very high crown. (Andrew 1982).