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BALD EAGLE NATURAL HISTORY
With a wingspan of seven feet, the bald eagle is the largest
bird of prey in northern Minnesota. The adult eagle is easily
identified by it's striking white head and tail. Eagles attain
their adult plumage and can begin breeding at four or five
years of age.
Young bald eagles remain flecked with brown and white and
can be mistaken for golden eagles, though golden eagles are
not found in Minnesota. Eagles mate for life, and return to
the same nest area each year.
Large red and white pines on the Forest make excellent eagle
nesting sites although aspen and others are occasionally used.
Nests sometimes reach 10 feet in diameter and weigh over 4000
pounds!
Eagles generally lay one or two eggs (occasionally three),
and incubation lasts about 35 days. Eagles are especially
sensitive to disturbance during incubation, an important reason
for people to respect nest locations. The average nesting
success for Chippewa National Forest is 67%. Eaglets remain
in the nest about 10 to 12 weeks.
BALD EAGLE MANAGEMENT
The bald eagle is federally listed as a threatened species.
The bald eagle is being considered for removal from the threatened
list, at which time it would be listed as a sensitive species
on the Chippewa for a minimum of five years.
In the state of Minnesota the bald eagle is listed as a species
of "special concern". Protection of nest sites from
destruction and disturbance has been a key objective of bald
eagle management on National Forest lands.
Each eagle breeding area has a management plan specifically
tailored to the site. Circular "buffer zones" have
been established around each nest to limit human activity.
Timber cutting, roads or trail use are restricted within 330
feet of each nest. A zone of 660 feet from the nest allows
activity only between October 1 to February 15, while eagles
are on their winter range.
The number of active bald eagle breeding pairs appears to
be leveling off on the Chippewa. Increasing competition among
breeding pairs at high nesting densities and continued lake
shore development may be factors affecting the Forests "carrying
capacity" of bald eagles.
EAGLE VIEWING
People often make a special trip to the Chippewa National
Forest to observe bald eagles. The best opportunities for
viewing bald
eagles are from the large lakes and major rivers. Wildlife
viewing is best at dawn and dusk. Tall white and red pine
with openings in the limbs are often prime perch sites. Nests
are usually located about 10-20 feet from the top.
Eagle nest sites are kept confidential to protect the birds
from disturbance during incubation and rearing of young. If
you know of an eagle nest location, please use caution and
watch them only from a distance.
In the spring and summer start your eagle viewing expedition
while boating at the biggest lakes such as Cass, Winnibigoshish
and Leech. Watch along the shorelines for eagles perched in
trees on calm days, and overhead air shows on windier days.
Canoeing on the Boy River, Mississippi, or Big Fork Rivers
almost always guarantees an eagle sighting.
You can easily reach open viewing areas at Federal Dam at
Leech Lake or Winnie Dam at the east end of Lake Winnibigoshish.
Near Cass Lake, Knutson Dam and campground provide an expansive
view of the lake and opportunities for fishing, by humans
and eagles!
The Mississippi River winds along Highway 2 between Cass
Lake and Deer River. Eagles are often seen soaring overhead.
A prime viewing area is where the river meets the highway
about eight miles west of the town of Deer River.
In autumn, eagles are often seen perched on lake or river
edges, searching for food. The change in temperature causes
the lakes to "turn over" as the cooling surface
water mixes with lower layers, causing fish to die. Eagles
capitalize on the fish's inability to adapt to seasonal changes!
Eagles remain near open water during winter months. On the
Chippewa, dams, channels between large lakes and faster moving
rivers provide such habitat. The Cass Lake Wayside rest provides
easy parking for those with an hour for exploring.
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