Bald Eagle Watching on the Upper Mississippi River

The majestic bald eagle, national symbol of our great nation, will soon be preparing their winter migration in search of food. As winter winds begins to slowly freeze ponds and streams in the northern part of the United States, Alaska and Canada, the bald eagle will make their way to open water on the Upper Mississippi River.

The bald eagle is only found in North America. Because of its native status, Congress adopted this beautiful bird of prey as our national symbol in 1782. Benjamin Franklin was alone in his desire to place the wild turkey in this honored position. He felt the bald eagle, who was more of a scavenger than a hunter, didn't deserve to hold such high prestige. Franklin considered the wild turkey to be far more intelligent and worthy to be named as the country's national bird.

Today, the bald eagle is honored and protected as they once again fly high over our nation's Great River Road, the mighty Mississippi River. It's a sight to behold each winter as the bald eagle returns to the Mississippi to feed and some end up staying in the area year round. These beautiful white headed raptors have a wing span of 6 to 7 feet; the female is larger than the male. They weigh around 10 to 14 pounds and live 20 to 30 years and soar, catching air currents and rarely flap their wings to fly. The bald eagle mates for life and both parents build their nest in high tree tops. A nest can be as large as 10 feet across and weigh an astounding half ton.

The bald eagle is one of the success stories of the Endangered Species Act which was signed into law in 1973. This law, signed by Richard Nixon, was designed to protect ecosystems and gave the government the ability to place animals or fauna on a protected list in order to preserve the species. Bald eagles were declared endangered in 1967 in the United States below the 40th parallel under a law that preceded the Endangered Species Act. It wasn't until 1976 before the bald eagle was officially placed on the Endangered Species List. They were removed from the list in 2007, however, the eagle, their nests and eggs continue to be protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which was the first law where federal protection actually began, along with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Bald eagle watching along the Upper Mississippi River in January and February is the best time of year and place to view bald eagles if Alaska, which has the largest concentration of eagles in North America, isn't on your agenda. Cold weather isn't why the birds migrate to this region of the country. They are searching for open water. The Mississippi River provide plenty of open water and fishing opportunities for the eagles, especially around power plants and locks and dams sprinkled along the river where ice can't form. Fish caught in the rushing water as it goes over and through the locks and dams will be stunned on the other side, making an easy catch for this opportunistic bird.

Iowa river towns, Dubuque, Muscatine, Keokuk and the Quad Cities, host bald eagle festivals in January encouraging people to view this majestic bird in it's natural habitat. There are rules to observe, however, which are designed to make sure the bald eagles are not disturbed by humans watchers. Viewers are asked to remain inside their vehicles, which work like blinds, stand behind a tree or bush to lessen the chance the eagle you may be viewing doesn't get frightened and fly off and never approach a bald eagle sitting on the ground or in a tree. Eagles need to save as much energy as they can to preserve much needed body heat to survive winter's blast in the upper Midwest. Each time an eagle flies away from an approaching spectator, they use valuable energy that is needed to stay warm. If an eagle becomes too stressed, they may leave that particular area altogether.

Bald eagles begin to show up in Iowa during September and will continue to increase in numbers with the highest concentration in January which is estimated to be around 4,000. The Mississippi River not only provides abundant fishing, huge cottonwood trees provide adequate roosting and nesting sites close to their feeding grounds. Bring your warm winter gear and a good pair of binoculars. Early morning is the best time to view the bald eagles when they are feeding, however, it's imperative to follow all rules to not disrupt their breakfast.

Seeing hundreds of white headed bald eagles dotting cottonwoods along the Mississippi River in winter is a sight to see. The bald eagle is the only eagle that is unique to North America and numbered 300,000 to 500,000 in the late 1700's. Today, the numbers are much smaller with only an estimated 70,000 spread out over Canada, Alaska and the lower 48 states. Mating pairs have stayed in the upper Midwest and their numbers are slowing growing as continued protection of their habitats and the absence of DDT have given them a second chance. It may take awhile for them to recover completely, but to see the bald eagle once again taking wing high in the skies of the country who honors them as our national symbol is indeed a sight to behold.

History of the Bald Eagle, baldeagleinfo.com

Bald Eagle Soars Off Endangered Species List, ScienceDaily.com

Diane Porter, Bald Eagle Return of Winter's King, birdwatching.com