Bald - Is there a bird that could easily be mistaken for a bald eagle from a distance?

Is there a bird that could easily be mistaken for a bald eagle from a distance?

I'm fairly sure bald eagles aren't common in the southern US, but I'm also unaware of any wild birds posesing dark bodies with a white head. I saw what I think was an eagle in a feild the other day, apparently muching out on some dead something. Do you think that's likely? Even possible? Deffinantly wasn't a buzzard or vulture, and the think was freaking huge.

Public Comments

they have released many bald eagles in the southern US, more than likey what you saw was an eagle
Bald Eagles are actually making a very nice return to the southern states. There were 19 active nests on the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge here in east-central Florida last year. If you're near water though, there are also osprey which are regularly misidentified as bald eagles. Eagles are actually much larger than osprey. Osprey have a white chest and some brownish markings on the face, which of course bald eagles do not have. But that's the only bird that I can think of that's a common misidentifier. http://birdsofsanibel.free.fr/images/20030717/Osprey%20In%20Tree%20At%20Dunes.jpg%20x.jpg http://mayo.personcounty.net/Osprey.jpg http://www.ackerlunds.com/httpdocs/images/Bald_eagle.jpg http://www.akwildlife.com/GRAPHICS/EagleScreenshot.jpg Hope I helped.
African fish eagles and white tailed sea eagles are often confused as bald eagles. however i'm sure the bird you saw was a bald eagle.
Bald Eagles typical live very close to water. Their primary diet is fish that they catch. The other possibility could be a Turkey Vulture. Immature Vultures have Grey or white heads. If it was on the ground that might be a possibility. Turkey Vultures can be very big especially the females.