(Courtesy Illinois Tourism Office)
It’s tempting to spend winter hunkered down under a pile of blankets, but then you’d miss one of Illinois’ great outdoor attractions: bald eagles.
Some 3,000 of the once endangered birds hang out in the state during the winter, attracted to our not-quite-frozen waterways and the steady supply of fresh fish they provide.
According to state wildlife officials, this is the largest population of wintering bald eagles in the continental U.S.
Some of the most popular viewing locations are within reach of Chicago, including Starved Rock State Park along the Illinois River.
Indeed, the open waters of the Illinois, Des Plaines, Fox and DuPage rivers are all great bets for eagle watching, and the raptors have even been spotted along the Chicago River. Locks and dams also tend to draw crowds of the birds because of the easy fishing.
(Courtesy Illinois Tourism Office)
Among sites recommended by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources: the Illinois and Michigan Canal, Moraine Hills State Park, Volo Bog State Natural Area, near the I-88 bridge on the Fox River, and Pleasant Valley Forest Preserve.
Upcoming special events include:
— Eagle Watch, Jan. 13, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Will County Forest Preserve District’s Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon. The center sits at the point where the DuPage, Kankakee and Des Plaines rivers converge to form the Illinois River, making it an eagle hot spot.
— Bald eagle trolley tours at Starved Rock, running through February.
Activities are also scheduled at Illinois natural areas along the Mississippi River and in southern Illinois throughout January and February.
While Illinois’ bald eagle population swells during the winter, an increasing number are making the state their permanent home. In Will County alone, five bald eagle hatchlings were born in 2023.
Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]
