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.


The eagle pair became national news after they locked talons in their courtship dance on Easter morning and didn't let go in time. Normally they swing each other around, then break free. This time, at least one of them miscalculated and they crashed into the snow in Valdez. The male died on impact. Bob Benda, a biology professor, was on of the first on the scene and thought the female was dead, too, then noticed she was breathing.

Benda kept the bird overnight in a crate and again thought she died, the Valdez Star reports. In the morning he was happy to see her alive and got her flown to Anchorage.

I had wondered if the eagle might be pregnant, but Palmatier doesn't think so. The aerial spiral is normally a prelude to mating, she says. "I've never had an eagle lay an egg," she says. "If animals are stress they tend to just reabsorb the pregnancy," she said. And they treat 800 birds a year, 50 of which are eagles, she's had plenty of chances to see egg laying if it weren't so unlikely with these distressed birds.

Palmatier, who's also a vet tech, says the eagles they get fall into three categories: toxins (often from eating at the garbage dump), starvation (especially this time of year, before the salmon run) and trauma. Trauma can include anything from fighting with each other to getting hit by cars. They're currently getting a lot of emaciated patients because the winter was mild for moose and caribou, so there are few carcasses around to eat. Once again, our national bird becomes a lot less majestic once we learn the details of its lifestyle.

If the eagle is lucky, she'll recover from her head trauma and wing injury and get released in Valdez. If not, she'll become a permanent resident somewhere, if not the center.

The Bird Treatment and Learning Center has 30 birds that do educational displays for the public, but only four live at the center. The rest are farmed out to qualified volunteers who have built an enormous cage--often the size of a house. Interestingly, Palmatier says the state of Alaska doesn't let people rehab mammals--aside from a handful of big game babies that may go to the zoo.

Check out the Bird Treatment and Learning Center

Where to Go to See Eagles

Go to See Eagles

Only 9 Eagles Show for Chicago's Closest Eagle Watch

Only about nine eagles were on hand for the 3,000 visitors who showed up for the closest eagle watch to Chicago, Eagle Watch Weekend at Starved Rock. Last year, 50 were there for the weekend and 115 spotted on the peak February day.

"I think most people got to see at least one eagle in the wild, which is better than seeing one on TV," said Kevin Eubank, the head ranger at the dam where you do most eagle viewing. Plus, they had a live bird of prey demonstration, so people got to see one up close, too. Edna Daugherty, who was driving the trolley for Starved Rock Lodge, said that eagles were out off and on all day.

The northern states have had slim eagle viewing this year. In 2009 the mid-winter Illinois eagle survey showed lousy results. First the cold weather seemed to drive birds further south. Now some rivers aren't frozen at all, meaning the raptors don't have to concentrate in one spot. The fish they like are in slim supply this year. And, on top of everything else, it's foggy. The local paper The News Tribune says presciently that eagle-watching has "never been much of an activity for serious birders." Maybe that's why it's so fun: It's relatively easy these days because eagle populations have recovered and the birds are big, obvious, and thrilling to watch. Six states have eagle watches this weekend: AL, IL, WA, MO, OK and TN.

If anything, I feel even better about my visit to the dam a few weeks ago, when we saw about seven birds. I think it should encourage people who maybe can't come out during the special events to try to see them another time.

Where to see eagles around the country

Who celebrates Eagle Days: when and where

10 States Celebrate King Weekend With Bald Eagle Watches

This weekend 10 states have eagle-watching festivities over King Weekend. And that doesn't count three more states (OR, NY, NJ) that have eagles right over a river on their border. The recent cold spell seems to be pushing eagles further south. Northern states are reporting slow seasons while those in Alabama and Kentucky are having strong years.

Where are the Eagle Viewing Spots Around the Country?
See the Full Calendar of Eagle-Viewing Events for 2010

Dates State And where is that? Peak Number of Eagles Details Jan 8-Feb 7 AL Lake Guntersville SP The area gets more than 100, but tours see about 15-35 Eagle Awareness Weekends offer accessible viewing spots to see where eagles nest and hunt. Eagle experts (some with live birds) give talks inside the lodge, too. Mid Jan-Feb CA-OR Lower Klamath Basin on the CA-OR Border 500 The Lower Kalmath Basin National Wildlife Refuge gets up to 500 bald eagles each winter. According to the refuge, the birds arrive in November but the best viewing is in January and February along the Tule Lake and Lower Klamath auto tours. Lower Klamath is the country's first waterfowl refuge. Over a million birds visit for the winter, including white pelicans, Pintail, gadwall, and canvasback ducks. You may also see Sandhill Cranes and antelope. You can make a reservation to use one of their photography blinds. Jan 16 - 17 IA Keokuk, IA's Dam 19, near the intersection of IA, IL and MO Try Main Street or 4th and Morgan 400 - 700 Bald Eagle Appreciation Days helps you watch the biggest eagle population on the Mississippi. Rangers will be out with spotting scopes and there are talks nearby related to ducks and osprey. Every Jan Sat IL Alton 100 - 1,000, plus one in the visitor's center Eagle Meet and GreetGo to the visitor's center to see an eagle demonstration and get some advice on where on the river to see the eagles. KY KY Dam (Dale Hollow (7-8 eagles) canceled this weekend because of barge troubles) About 350 in the area, 150 on Land Between Lakes Eagle Watch Weekends At events around the state, you may be able to go out on barges, yachts or vans, Jan 16  and/or 17 MO Truman Lake, Old Chain of Rocks Bridge,Columbia Bottom Confluence Varies across the state, but 2,000 eagles winter in Missouri has Missouri Eagle Days Events around the state, some with live eagles Jan 16, 17 PA (NY,NJ) Delaware Water Gap: Biggest Eagle Population in the Northeast 150 - 200 Eagle Watch Weekend The Eagle Institute has programs to to help you see the eagles on the river and not bother them. Check local listing OK Kaw City Com. Center &; Kaw Nation Tribal Museum Ultimate Eagle Watch The Kaw Nation leads tours and has a day of eagle activities. Salt Plains NWR, Quartz Mt, Lake Thunderbird. Chickasaw NRA Eagle Watch Sequoyah St. Pk. Eagle Tour and Loon Watch Jan 2-Feb 28 TN Reelfoot Lake St Pk, near the Mississippi by KY average of 100 Eagle Tour Bus tours go out at 10 am all week, with another tour at 1:30 on weekends Jan 15 and 16 WI Sauk City and Praire du Sac, north of Madison 101 roost count Eagle Watching Days You can see them by bus or car or got to eagle events

20 States Host Bald Eagle Festivals; Six This Weekend. Is There A Bald Eagle Near You?

See the full 2010 Eagle Calendar

In January and February rivers freeze and bald eagles have to come down from Canada to visit us. To capitalize on the event, Audubon clubs and parks around the country hold Bald Eagle Days or Festivals to give people a chance to see our national bird in places they haven't been seen in generations. Within a couple hours of New York, Boston, Chicago and Dallas, you can see eagles.

Twenty states have bald eagle festivals, although two have cancelled this year because of the recession. The Upper Skagit Eagle Festival in WA and the CT Eagle Festival won't be held this year. The eagles still show up, you just don't get the luxury treatment, which usually entails scopes and hot chocolate. CT Audubon even still has $40 boat tours.

Current Eagle Festivals: AL, AK, AR, CO, ID, IL, IN, IA, KY, MD, NJ, NY, OK, PA, TN, TX, UT and WI


We've got six bald eagle events this weekend. We don't just have a national bald eagle day because they show up at different times around the country. The peak for eagle days is the first weekend in February, with 11 states having eagle-watching events.

See the 2010 Calendar of Eagle Events
Where to See Eagles Yearound

Now's The Time To Go See Eagles and Seals

Just because it's winter doesn't mean there aren't lots of animals to watch. Here's a list of places to watch bald eagles all around the country are having their eagle watch or eagle festivals. Eagles can either migrate or stay put. This time of year the birds that live up north come down for open waters to fish in. They especially like waters near power plants and dams. (I guess they don't have to migrate as far down south if they can find some artificially heated water.

Although I grew up in a time when any eagle sighting would have been spectacular, eagles are now getting much easier to see on just about any big river. The Eagle Fest last weekend offered heated tents and experts, but since Croton Point Park near the Metro-North train station is one of the best spots, you could go anytime in probably from probably January to March This last week was an eagle watching festival at Croton-on-Hudson, which is just an hour north of New York City. Bruce Yolton took spectacular pictures of eagles riding the ice flows. Another great local raptor photographer, Francois Portman, told me he went up recently but only saw birds flying in the air. So, as always it's hit and miss.

Last weekend I tried to go see the seals that come to Sandy Hook in the winter, but just missed them. A ranger told me they had been right on the sand at Beach B, but I found none. When I walked out a mini-pier near Fort Hancock I asked two photographers if they'd seen anything. "Just a seal," one said. Just? But I didn't see any. The ranger also said that they're often seen just on the island or ice off shore.

Dumpster Owl Serves as Greeter at Carolina Raptor Center

Carolina Raptor Center, Just N. of Charlotte, NC

Shelby greets you as you enter the Raptor Center and she's annoyed with you (if you're a dog, for example) she is likely to puff up like she here. Shelby is a great ambassador to the world of injured big birds of prey. Her story is sad, but not that uncommon. She was caught in a leg trap, beaten, then discarded in a dumpster. Someone found her and brought her to the Carolina Raptor Center, which rehabilitates sick and injured birds. Shelby's eyes were too damaged for her to hunt in the wild, so she has a permanent home here.
The center attracts a wide range of visiors--families, scouts, bikers--and most read Shelby's story then ask "Why would anyone throw an owl in a dumpster?"
Some birds are nursed to health behind the scenes. About 27% of birds who survive won't be able to make it in the wild. So, 100 live here, including great horned owls, bald eagles, barred owls, screech owls and a part-albino red-tailed hawk.
It takes about 2 hours to see everyone. On weekends there are special shows.

Where to See Animals Down South