I am about to set off on a trip to Barr Lake State Park in Brighton, Colorado, to search for bald eagles nearby.
In 1782, when the Founding Fathers chose the bald eagle as the national bird, an estimated 100,000 of these majestic, white-capped birds inhabited the young nation. However, by the 1960s, their numbers had dropped to merely 417 nesting pairs. The pesticide DDT drove them—and many other bird species—to the brink of extinction.
Thankfully, following the prohibition of DDT in 1972, bald eagles have made a comeback. Their population is now robust, with over 315,000 individuals soaring freely across the lower 48 states as per the latest count.
In addition to being the national bird and a symbol of the U.S., the bald eagle is a remarkable hunter. While they are typically solitary, they sometimes collaborate to drive prey towards each other. They prefer efficiency, often seizing prey from other birds either in flight or from their claws. Bald eagles also enjoy long lifespans, with the oldest known wild bird living to at least 38 years, as reported by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Barr Lake State Park, situated roughly a 30-minute drive northeast of downtown Denver, is undoubtedly the premier location for watching bald eagles. Wildlife officials have dubbed this park a "bed-and-breakfast for birds" as it offers all the essentials for their prosperity—tall cottonwood trees for shelter and a lake rich with tasty fish. In past years, over 100 of these birds have been observed at the same time.
As I begin this journey, I hope to discover these majestic birds to photograph and aim to publish them on my site.
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