2011 AnimalTourism Guide to Eagle Watches & Festivals

Eagle Days Around the Country

Most bald eagle festivals are in the winter, when eagles migrate south to fish. About 80% of bald eagles' diet is fish--though they are not above eating small mammals and birds, even roadkill, if really hungry.

When rivers freeze up north, they head down to open waters. They don't need to go as far as they once would have thanks to manmade structures like dams and power plants that keep the water flowing and unfrozen.

Bald eagle days usually involve a local Audubon group, park rangers or Army Corps of Engineers (the guys who maintain the dams the eagles like) giving talks and offering views through spotting scopes. Sometimes wildlife rehabilitators will show up with a bird that's been injured and can't make it in the wild, just so you can see how big and impressive these birds are.

For year-round eagle watching, check out ANIMALTOURISM.COM eagle guide

State Details And where is that? Catchy Name or Link? January 7 - 9 Jan 7- 9 AL Lake Guntersville SP   Eagle Awareness Weekend   Jan 7- 9 AR Bull Shoals-White River SP gets 100 eagles On the Missouri Border Eagle Awareness Weekend Dec - March- CA-OR Lower Klamath Basin CA-OR Border Eagles visit Dec-March, peaking mid-Feb. with about 500 birds. Klamath Birding Trails has tips on where to see them hunt or roost. Jan 15 - 16 IA Mississippi River Visitor Center Arsenal Island, Rock Island   Eagle Watch and Historic Clock Tower Tours Jan 7 -9 IL Quad City Bald Eagle Days Quad City Expo Center Quad City Bald Eagle Days Jan 8 -9 Pere Marquette SP Bald Eagle Days Wild Bird Sanctuary Every Jan Sat Alton- World Bird Sanctuary brings a live eagle to the visitor's center Eagle Meet & Greet Jan 8 -9 MO Smithville Lake, North Riverfront Park Missouri Eagle Days OK Arcadia Lake Edmond, Jet Eagle Watch Salt Plains NWR Jet Eagle Watch Jan 8 OK Lake Thunderbird State Park Norman Eagle Watch Greenleaf State Park Muskogee Winter Waterfowl and Eagle Watch Jan 8-9 PA (NY,NJ) Delaware Water Gap: Biggest Eagle Population in the Northeast Lackawaxen, PA Eagle Watch Weekend Eagle Watch Institute volunteers with scopes help watchers January 14 -16 Jan 14-16 AL Lake Guntersville SP Eagle Awareness Weekend Master Falconer Curt Cearly Jan 16 AR Petit Jean State Park/ Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge Between Little Rock & Ft. Smith Eagle Awareness Weekend Dec - March- CA-OR Lower Klamath Basin CA-OR Border Eagles visit Dec-March, peaking mid-Feb. with about 500 birds. Klamath Birding Trails has tips on where to see them hunt or roost. Jan 15 - 16 IA Mississippi River Visitor Center Arsenal Island, Rock Island   Eagle Watch and Historic Clock Tower Tours Jan 16 - 17 IA Keokuk Iowa's dam 19 Biggest Eagle Population on the Mississippi Where IA, IL and MO meet Bald Eagle Appreciation Days Jan 15 IL Alton Eagle Meet & Greet     Pere Marquette SP Bald Eagle Days     KY Dale Hollow, KY Dam Eagle Watch Weekends Jan 14 -15 OK Salt Plains NWR   Eagle Watch Jan 15 - 16 OK Quartz Mountain   Eagle Watch Jan 15 - 16 MO Old Chain of Rocks Bridge Near St. Louis Missouri Eagle Day Jan 15-16 PA (NY,NJ) Delaware Water Gap: Biggest Eagle Population in the Northeast Lackawaxen, PA Eagle Watch Weekend Eagle Watch Institute volunteers with scopes help watchers OK Kaw City Com. Center & Kaw Nation Tribal Museum Kaw City Ultimate Eagle Watch Salt Plains NWR, Quartz Mt, Lake Thunderbird. Chickasaw NRA   Eagle Watch Sequoyah St. Pk. Hulbert Eagle Tour & Loon Watch   WI Sauk City and Praire du Sac N of Madison Eagle Watching Days January 21 -23 Jan 21 -23 AL Lake Guntersville SP Eagle Awareness Weekend Alabama Wildlife Center Dec - March- CA-OR Lower Klamath Basin CA-OR Border Eagles visit Dec-March, peaking mid-Feb. with about 500 birds. Klamath Birding Trails has tips on where to see them hunt or roost. Jan 22 - 23 IA Mississippi River Visitor Center Arsenal Island, Rock Island   Eagle Watch and Historic Clock Tower Tours IL Starved Rock SP gets more than 100 birds near Peoria Eagle Watch Weekend Jan 22 -26 Pere Marquette SP Bald Eagle Days Every Jan Sat Alton Eagle Meet and Greet WA Rockport, WA officially CANCELLED for funding this year, but eagles still show up 2 hours NE of Seattle Upper Skagit Bald Eagle Festival Jan 22 - 23 MO Springfield Missouri Eagle Days OK Chickasaw NRA Sulphur, OK Eagle Watch Thunderbird State Park Jan 22 Eagle Watch Sequoyah SP Hulbert Eagle Tour & Loon Watch Jan 22-23 PA (NY,NJ) Delaware Water Gap: Biggest Eagle Population in the Northeast Lackawaxen, PA 22: heated bus tour with NE PA Audubon 23: Eagle Watch Institute volunteers January 28 -30 Jan 28 - 30 AL Lake Guntersville SP Eagle Awareness Weekend   Jan 29 - 30 IA Mississippi River Visitor Center Arsenal Island, Rock Island   Eagle Watch and Historic Clock Tower Tours Dec - March- CA-OR Lower Klamath Basin CA-OR Border Eagles visit Dec-March, peaking mid-Feb. with about 500 birds. Klamath Birding Trails has tips on where to see them hunt or roost. Jan 28-30 ID Boise Idaho Bird Observatory Bald Eagle Days Every Jan Sat IL Alton Eagle Meet & Greet Jan 29 - Feb 2 IL Pere Marquette SP Bald Eagle Days   Jan 29 - 30 MO Clarksville (Lock and Dam 24) Missouri Eagle Days Jan 29 OK Quartz Mt Nature Park Lone, OK Eagle Days Seqoyah State Park   Eagle Tour Chickasaw NRA Sulphur, OK Eagle Days Jan 29-30 PA (NY,NJ) Delaware Water Gap: Biggest Eagle Population in the Northeast Lackawaxen, PA Eagle Watch Weekend Eagle Watch Institute volunteers with scopes help watchers Jan 29 WI Cassville on the Mississippi Bald Eagle Days February 4 -6 Feb 4 -6 AL Lake Guntersville SP Eagle Awareness Weekend Dec - March- CA-OR Lower Klamath Basin CA-OR Border Eagles visit Dec-March, peaking mid-Feb. with about 500 birds. Klamath Birding Trails has tips on where to see them hunt or roost. Feb 6 - 7 CO Lake Pueblo SP 12th Annual Bald Eagle Day Festival Feb 5-6 CT Connecticut River/ Essex boat tours and dam viewing 1/2 hour E of New Haven CT Audubon Eagle-Viewing Boat Tours Feb 5 - 6 IA Mississippi River Visitor Center Arsenal Island, Rock Island   Eagle Watch and Historic Clock Tower Tours Feb 4-6 IN Turkey Run SP & Raccoon State Recreation 75 miles W of Indianapolis Eagles In Flight Weekend Feb 5 NY Croton Point Westchester Hudson River Eaglefest Feb 4-6 KY Dale Hollow, KY State Resort Park Eagle Watch Weekends Feb 5 OK Sequoyah SP Hulbert Eagle Tour & Loon Watch Feb 4-6 PA (NY,NJ) Delaware Water Gap: Biggest Eagle Population in the Northeast Lackawaxen, PA Eagle Watch Weekend Eagle Watch Institute volunteers with scopes help watchers Feb 4-6 TN Reelfoot Lake SP near the Mississippi 7th Annual Eagle Tour (bus and van) Feb 6 TX Emory, TX near Dallas EagleFest Rains District High School Feb 6 UT Fountain. Green Hatchery, Rush Lake Ranch Utah Eagle Day February 11 -13 Feb 11 - 13 AL Lake Guntersville SP   Eagle Awareness WeekendSOAR (Save Our American Raptors) Dec - March- CA-OR Lower Klamath Basin CA-OR Border Eagles visit Dec-March, peaking mid-Feb. with about 500 birds. Klamath Birding Trails has tips on where to see them hunt or roost. Feb 10,12,13 CT Connecticut River/ Essex 1/2 hr E of New Haven Eagle Boat Tours Feb 12 -13 IA Mississippi River Visitor Center Arsenal Island, Rock Island   Eagle Watch and Historic Clock Tower Tours Feb 12 -13 IL Pere Marquette SP Bald Eagle Days   Feb 12 MA Joppa Flats & Parker River NWR practically in NH 3rd annual Merrimack River Eagle Festival Feb 12 -13 OK Sequoyah NWR Feb 12 only Eagle Tour and Loon Watch Lake Thunderbird Norman, OK Eagle Watch Quartz Mt Nature Park Eagle Watch Feb 12-13 PA (NY,NJ) Delaware Water Gap: Biggest Eagle Population in the Northeast Lackawaxen, PA 12: PPL (power company) gives talk on how it inadvertently attracts eagles 13 Eagle Watch Institute volunteers with scopes Feb 13 UT Salt Creek WMA (Compton's Knoll) & Farmington Bay WMA Split Mt./Green River northern Utah Utah Bald Eagle Day February 19 and 20 Dec - March- CA-OR Lower Klamath Basin CA-OR Border Eagles visit Dec-March, peaking mid-Feb. with about 500 birds. Klamath Birding Trails has tips on where to see them hunt or roost. Feb 17,19,20 CT Connecticut River/ Essex 1/2 hr E of New Haven Eagle Boat Tours OK Sequoyah NWR & Tenkiller SP Eagle Tour & Loon Watch Feb 19-20 PA (NY,NJ) Delaware Water Gap: Biggest Eagle Population in the Northeast Lackawaxen, PA 19: Guided tour, early breeding 20: Eagle Watch Institute volunteers with scopes Feb 4-6 TN Reelfoot Lake SP near the Mississippi Eagle Tour February 26 - 27 Dec - March CA-OR Lower Klamath Basin CA-OR Border Eagles visit Dec-March, peaking mid-Feb. with about 500 birds. Klamath Birding Trails has tips on where to see them hunt or roost. Feb 24,26,27 CT Connecticut River/ Essex 1/2 hr E of New Haven Eagle Boat Tours Feb 26 - 27 IL Pere Marquette SP Bald Eagle Days Feb 25 - 27 LA Morgan City More than 250 eagles Turtle Bayou Eagle Expo OK Sequoyah NWR & Tenkiller SP Eagle Tour & Loon Watch Feb 26 -27 PA (NY,NJ) Delaware Water Gap: Biggest Eagle Population in the Northeast Lackawaxen, PA Eagle Watch Weekend Eagle Watch Institute volunteers with scopes help watchers March 5 - 6 Dec - March CA-OR Lower Klamath Basin CA-OR Border Eagles visit Dec-March, peaking mid-Feb. with about 500 birds. Klamath Birding Trails has tips on where to see them hunt or roost. March 3,5,6 CT Connecticut River/ Essex 1/2 hr E of New Haven Eagle Boat Tours March 5 - 6 MN National Eagle Center 15,000 people attend Soar with the Eagles March 2,6,7, 9 IL Pere Marquette SP Bald Eagle Days March 5 OK Sequoyah NWR & Tenkiller SP Eagle Tour & Loon Watch March 6-7 PA (NY,NJ) Delaware Water Gap: Biggest Eagle Population in the Northeast Lackawaxen, PA Eagle Watch Weekend Eagle Watch Institute volunteers with scopes help watchers March 12-13 Dec - March CA-OR Lower Klamath Basin CA-OR Border Eagles visit Dec-March, peaking mid-Feb. with about 500 birds. Klamath Birding Trails has tips on where to see them hunt or roost. March 11,13,14 CT Connecticut River/ Essex 1/2 hr E of New Haven Eagle Boat Tours Mar 13 MD Blackwater NWR Eagle nesting Eagle Festival Mar 12-13 MN National Eagle Center 15,000 people attend Soar with the Eagles Mar 12-13 PA (NY,NJ) Delaware Water Gap: Biggest Eagle Population in the Northeast Lackawaxen, PA Eagle Watch Weekend Eagle Watch Institute volunteers with scopes help watchers March 19 - 20 Mar 19 -20 MN National Eagle Center 15,000 people attend Soar with the Eagles March 26 - 27 Mar 26-27 MN National Eagle Center 15,000 people attend Soar with the Eagles May - Sept CO Barr Lake near Denver A cart tour to nest and rookery. Eagle Express Nov 9 -13 AK Haines, AK, gets 4,000 bald eagles, the world record   near Juneau Alaska Bald Eagle Festival Dec - March CA-OR Lower Klamath Basin CA-OR Border Eagles visit Dec-March, peaking mid-Feb. with about 500 birds. Klamath Birding Trails has tips on where to see them hunt or roost. November weekends MN Eagle Institute hosts the biggest population in the lower 48. Festival is 3 weekends in Nov. Wabasha Migration Celebration

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IS THERE AN EAGLE FESTIVAL NEAR YOU THIS WEEKEND?   CHECK OUT THE 2010 ANIMALTOURISM.COM LIST OF BALD EAGLE EVENTS

Bald Eagle in Mating Crash May Get to Go Outside Alaska bird rescuer Cindy Palmatier won't know for a month if the eagle that plunged into the snow while clutching her mate will ever fly again. Cindy Palmatier, director of avian care at the Bird Treatment and Learning Center in Anchorage, says the eagle did get bandages off one wing and may get to go outside Wednesday or Thursday. Read more

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