Catch a closer look at bald eagles on Saturday, February 15 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Truman Visitor Center. In addition to viewing the birds up close, there will be programs on edible insects, snakes and more about Missouri’s great outdoors.
The bald eagle was removed from the endangered species list by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2007. All thanks to active conservation efforts in Missouri and across the country, their numbers have increased and bald eagles can be viewed and enjoyed around the state. They have become a common sight during the winter months when many migrate from the north to find food along our State’s numerous lakes, rivers and creeks.
Living in the vicinity of a creek, I was once privileged to view a mama and papa eagle attempting to teach their young eaglet to fish in the stream off a bridge.
Another time I chanced to view a courtship dance out my dining room window as a pair swooped and tumbled in the annual ritual. They often mate for life and build large nests in tree tops near water and add to them every year. Their nests are usually about five feet in diameter and approximately two to four feet deep.
All this has become a common sight to me and I didn’t think attending an Eagle Days at Truman would be a big deal until I did a few years ago. I was seated in the front row in the theater when a female handler entered with a giant bird on her gloved arm. The woman was accustomed to the bird as she worked with it in the Dickerson Park Zoo where the bird was kept. It was a rescue bird that had been injured and was no longer able to survive in the wild.
Up close I could see how big and bold they are with piercing talons and yellow eyes. The bird was so magnificent and far more impressive than I had imagined.
The eagle settled and his hood was removed. Then the bird shook its impressive white feathered head, sitting up tall on the handler’s arm. Then, as if to claim his space, it raised its giant wings and spread them fully right in front of me. The sight kept me glued in my chair.
Their regal looks make them a natural to be our national symbol. They are powerful, proud and protective and makes a person feel that way too. They are perfect as America’s representative of freedom. Don’t miss the opportunity to view them on Eagle Days at the Harry S. Truman Visitor Center.
