Jared Gorrell
Assistant Editor
SPRINGFIELD – It’s Bald Eagle season here in Illinois. Every winter, thousands of Bald Eagles descend south from the frozen north woods. Their destination is Illinois. Thanks to the large rivers and big reservoirs present throughout the state, Illinois has become a Bald Eagle’s paradise. Illinois’ big lakes and rivers provide ample food (waterbirds and fish) for eagles. Indeed, after Alaska, Illinois, in the winter, has more Bald Eagles than any other state in the US! Here in Sangamon County, we may be farther from some of the big rivers, but we have the Sangamon River, and we have Lake Springfield. Lake Springfield can have upwards of fifteen Bald Eagles on it at one time, especially when areas to the north freeze over.
Most of the eagles concentrate near small pockets of open water, as do their prey, ducks and geese. One of the best places to see a Bald Eagle in the wintertime in the Springfield Area is Lincoln Greens Golf Course. The parking lot is free and open to the public, and the power plant directly across heats the water on the lake enough to leave an open space on the lake year-round. As a result, it’s quite easy to find several Bald Eagles in the trees around the edge- just look for the white heads!
If you want to impress your friends, here’s how to ID a Bald Eagle from a distance if it’s flying.
- Is it big? Bald Eagles tie with American White Pelicans for being the largest birds in Illinois. (And yes, there are pelicans in Illinois. I’ve seen thousands here.)
- Is it black or dark brown? Young eagles are dark brown, adult eagles are black with a white head and tail.
- Are the wings held flat when it flies, or in a wide V? If the bird holds its wings flat AND it fulfills the first two criteria, it’s most likely a Bald Eagle. If it has its wings in a wide V, that’s a Turkey Vulture, which is FAR more common at Lincoln Land.
If you can remember these three steps, you should be able to identify a Bald Eagle. As mentioned above, Bald Eagles, when young (birth to about five years of age) are brownish. However, they’re still enormous, and they have a larger beak, proportionally to their body, than any other bird of prey in our area.
Lake Springfield’s eagle population pales in comparison to areas along the Illinois River where you can see dozens in a day, but it’s nearby and still impressive. However, as stated above, if you really want to find Bald Eagles, go to the Illinois or Mississippi Rivers. This time of year, if you’re lucky, you might even see them do their mating “dance”- a feat of aerial skill that has to be seen to believed! Many small towns along the big rivers have “Eagle Days”, small fairs that celebrate the eagles. Still, keep your eyes open even when on campus- I’ve seen several Bald Eagles fly over campus, overhead of students who had no idea what they were missing!
Jared Gorrell can be reached at [email protected]
