Klamath Basin (located in California and Oregon), has one of the highest concentrations of wintering Bald Eagles in North America. There are usually about 500 eagles, but the populations can reach up to about 1,000! From the months of November to March, visitors are almost guaranteed a sighting of our nation's mascot. It wasn't always this way, as the Bald Eagle was listed as endangered back in the late 1970s. The successful recovery is due in part to the cooperation of three refuges- Bear Valley NWR, Lower Klamath NWR, and Tule Lake NWR; all of which came together to protect this majestic bird.
Bear Valley is 4,200 acres of old growth forest high above the Klamath Basin. This refuge was established in 1978 for the purpose of protecting vital night roosting sites for the wintering eagles. It is currently closed to the public in deference to the eagles and adjacent private landowners. This refuge is ideal for roosting eagles at night because the large coniferous trees protect them from the cold winter winds.
Lower Klamath and Tule Lake are about 90,000 acres in size combined, in the basin below. The eagles often spend a lot of daytime hours in the winter here for perching and feeding. These refuges are where the eagles can be seen by visitors on auto tours in the winter.
The eagles are so popular in fact that there is an entire festival surrounding their arrival. The 35th Winter Wings Festival will be occurring February 13-16, 2014 in Klammath Falls, Oregon. This event put on by the Klamath Basin Audubon Society (KBAS), offers a huge assortment of birding and nature related activities for the entire family and for all skill levels. The Klamath Basin is a winter home to not only eagles, but also other raptors and thousands of ducks, geese, and swans.
The event is full of events from field trips, photography sessions, information sessions, receptions, and much more!
To find out more information about the event, visit their website here: http://winterwingsfest.org/
For more information about Bald Eagles and how the refuges work together, see the article in this month's Refuge Update.
http://refugeassociation.org/
