Bald eagles make Lake McConaughy home through winter months

When the temperature drops and the winter season begins to set in, the United States’ national bird, the bald eagle, migrates to its new temporary home: the Midwest.

In the warmer months, bald eagles can be found in Canada and northern parts of the United States, but when weather begins to cool off and their food sources become more and more scarce, the majestic birds migrate to central and southern regions of the country.

According to Nebraska Game and Parks Lake McConaughy and Lake Ogallala superintendent Leesa Ricci, the search for food is the main reason bald eagles who nest in the northern United States and Canada migrate south in late autumn and early winter when lakes and rivers in their nesting areas freeze over.

“Eagles are pretty hardy birds and they can withstand a lot of the cold, but they can’t withstand having no food source,” Ricci said. “They don’t hibernate and they can’t function without their food source. They don’t have to migrate south, as they can withstand the winter. They’re just here for the food.”

The eagle preys mostly on fish and waterfowl, which is why unfrozen lakes and flowing rivers are vital to their survival. Fish are their most common food, followed by wounded geese or ducks and carrion. Game and Parks says the bald eagles typically feed on small fish, such as shad, alewife and other smaller fish, but the birds can occasionally be seen plucking a catfish or carp from the water.

They will also hunt small mammals such as rabbits.

Because they are scavengers, circumstances and availability of food determine what prey is on the menu for bald eagles at a particular time.

They prefer to live near water and nest mostly in tall, old-growth trees, another reason Lake McConaughy provides a good home for the birds during winter months.

Lake McConaughy of Ogallala is an excellent site for viewing the majestic bird of prey, since the lake is able to provide plenty of food and shelter through when the climate is colder. In fact, Game and Parks refers to the lake region as “the best place in the state to view America’s national bird.”

Eagles gather in large numbers at the lake during the winter below Kingsley Dam, as the Kingsley Hydroplant creates open water which allows the eagles to fish.

Typically, the best time of year for viewing bald eagles at Lake McConaughy is early in the year, during January and February, but they can also be spotted in December.

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