EAGLES

EAGLES

The United States’ national symbol, the bald eagle, is by far the most plentiful in Alaska, perhaps because of the abundance of their main food source, fish, in the state. The distinctive white cap is easily spotted among the dense, dark Sitka spruce of Alaska’s coastal regions, and eagles are frequently seen wheeling above the coastal waters, diving and catching fish, which they devour on shore. Bald eagles are impressively large – their wing spans can reach seven and a half feet. In certain areas, seasonal fish runs attract thousands of bald eagles at one time. In the Inside Passage community of Haines, eagles are attracted to a late-season run of salmon, and gather by the thousands in November and December along the Chilkat River. Farther south along the Inside Passage, the Stikine River near Wrangell, Alaska, hosts a similarly huge concentration of eagles in the spring.

WHERE TO FIND THEM:

Bald eagles are most commonly seen in Southcentral Alaska and the Inside Passage region. They are also seen in the Continental United States, though much less frequently.

WHEN TO COME:

Although the best places within Alaska to view eagles varies somewhat by time of year, eagles can be seen all year long.