Education Commons^™

Bald Eagles Wintering Along The Des Moines River, Iowa, Neil Sabine

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Distribution, habitat use, and foraging behavior of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) wintering in southeast Iowa were studied in January - March 1990 and November 1990 - March 1991. Eagles were seen from November through March with the highest numbers in January and February. Adults had shorter winter residence times than immatures and they appeared to be less active during the day. Eagles concentrated their foraging efforts along certain river segments where they fed exclusively on fish. Timber harvesting along the river reduced eagle use and is considered to be the most serious threat to sustaining eagle use of the area. …