Bald eagle migration now underway
Bald eagles are now congregating at Wolf Lodge Bay on Lake Coeur d'Alene and in the Bayview area on Lake Pend Oreille. Numbers on Coeur d'Alene are lower than they have been in recent years, as many eagles are stopping on Lake Pend Oreille on the way.
The eagles are taking advantage of easy meals, as mature kokanee salmon complete their life cycle and die after they spawn on submerged gravel. Once the kokanee supply dwindles, the eagles will continue to the Klamath Basin of Oregon and California, or into southern Idaho and Utah.
The bald eagle is unique to North America.
When the first Europeans arrived in North America, there were 25,000 nesting pairs of bald eagles. While most people today admire and appreciate the bald eagle, it hasn't always been so. From 1917 until 1952, more than 100,000 bald eagles were shot in Alaska (prior to statehood) under the belief they were competitors with humans for salmon. Development in critical habitats and pesticide use inadvertently had negative effects upon eagles. By 1970, there were only 1,500 breeding pairs remaining.
The Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940 prohibited killing of eagles and protected habitats. In 1978, the Endangered Species Act listed bald eagles as "endangered" in 43 states and "threatened" in five states providing further protection. Reduced direct killing of eagles and the banning of certain pesticides have enabled eagles to exhibit dramatic recovery.
The bald eagle has a wingspan up to seven feet. Males weigh 8-10 pounds; females are larger at 10-14 pounds. The white heads and chocolate brown/black bodies of adult bald eagles make it easy to recognize them instantly.
Young birds have a brown head until maturity at age 4-5. Many immature bald eagles are mistaken for golden eagles.
Fish are the preferred fare of bald eagles. Waterfowl, small mammals, winter or road killed deer are also utilized when available.
As with all living things, food, water, shelter and space are the essential elements of the habitat of an eagle.
If any one of these is missing or unavailable, eagles will not be present.
When areas north of us freeze, making fish unavailable to them, the eagles head our way.
To avoid disturbing the birds, eagle watchers are encouraged to use binoculars or spotting scopes. Watch the bird's body language.
If you are too close, it will appear uneasy. Remain quiet and move slowly. It is illegal and unsafe to stop on a public roadway, so please use turnouts or parking lots to view eagles.
The daily life of an eagle in Wolf Lodge includes a dawn flight from an overnight roost over a mile away. Feeding activity begins upon arrival at the lake and continues throughout the early morning. Eagles will locate a fish from the air or a perch, glide over the water, and grab the fish with its sharp talons. Returning to a feeding perch in a tree, the eagle tears pieces off with its beak to eat the fish. Feeding slows at mid-day, then resumes late afternoon before the flight back to the roost.
Eagle numbers in our area generally peak around Christmas Day, but many remain in the area well into January.
To catch the peak of the migration on Lake Coeur d'Alene, the Bureau of Land Management has scheduled an "Eagle Watch" from Dec. 27-31 at the Wolf Lodge boat launch and the Mineral Ridge trailhead.
Wildlife biologists and wildlife educators will be on hand with spotting scopes, mounted specimens, displays and literature about eagles from 10 a.m. until dark. (They will close at 2 p.m. Dec. 31.)
The BLM has set up an eagle watch hotline for the latest information on eagle numbers on Lake Coeur d'Alene and viewing conditions.
The number, (208) 769-5048, will be in operation throughout eagle watch week.
Phil Cooper is a wildlife conservation educator in Coeur d'Alene for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.