Dams Help Bald Eagles Extend Range

Animal biologists conducting their annual midwinter count of bald eagles around lakes Mead and Mohave are reporting growing numbers of the majestic birds in the two Colorado River reservoirs. A preliminary tally of bald eagles in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area taken January 7 through January 14 found 108 adult and immature birds in the area. While the count is down slightly from the all-time high of 116 counted in 2008, it is well above the 60 identified when the count was standardized by the U.S. Park Service in 2001. Biologists strongly suspect the bald eagles wintering in the areas southeast of Las Vegas came there from the Pacific Northwest and Canada. The big lakes behind the Hoover and Davis dams contain abundant fish and waterfowl on which bald eagles prey. The rising number of bald eagles spending their winters in the area has prompted biologists to conclude the birds are no longer just stopping over at the lakes on their migratory journey to elsewhere. Instead, the lakes appear to be the eagles’ winter destination of choice...Environment & Climate News