I remember the first time I saw a bald eagle. As a kid in the mid-’90s, I was riding shotgun with my dad on a dirt road in the Ozarks when he brought his Jeep Cherokee to a screeching halt. He ushered me out of the car and pointed overhead. After several minutes, it appeared: the silhouette of a huge bird soaring above the hills. I’d seen eagles before in books, magazines, and nature programs, but this was different.
“When I was a kid, you almost never saw an eagle,” my dad said excitedly. “But they’re coming back,” explaining how conservation practices had helped bring bald eagles back from the brink of extinction.
Today, we enjoy an abundance of bald eagles in the Midwest. Even when driving (seemingly) far from water, I’ll see the massive dark wings, the unmistakably white head, and the hooked yellow bill of an adult bald eagle. I’ll remember that first spotting—and that it took a lot of work to get here.
If you’ve never braved the cold to watch for bald eagles, it’s an experience not to be missed, especially along the Mississippi River, where you can watch the raptors and other birds cruising the water and nesting in the treetops. Each year, the Missouri Department of Conservation hosts Eagle Days to help visitors learn and catch glimpses of these iconic birds. Even if you can’t make it to an official viewing event, grab a pair of binoculars, download the Merlin app, and head to the nearest body of water. You never know what might be waiting for you.
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