23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
Under the Chilkat Sky

With the towering Chilkat Mountains as a backdrop, a juvenile bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) perches on driftwood along Eagle Beach in Juneau, Alaska. Still cloaked in the mottled plumage of youth, its gaze is steady and its presence commanding — a quiet moment that hints at the power it is destined to embody.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 07.2025
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Juneau, Alaska, United States of America
Camera: ILCE-6700
Copyright: © Owen Palmer