Soar with Eagles Along the Fox River

Plan to Soar with Eagles Along the Fox River during the month of January. Join us here in Appleton, Wisconsin for some fun and excitement.

Eagle Monitoring

January 14th from 6:44 to 8:15AM is scheduled for American Bald Eagle monitoring in the Fox Valley area of Wisconsin. Join monitors at various locations along the Fox River to count eagles for the State and National Midwinter Survey. Later  from 10AM to Noon, join the get-together at the Paper Discovery Center in Appleton for a reception and an update on citizen science data from 2009-2017 by Bryan Woodbury, WDNR.

No experience is necessary to join the eagle monitoring. For more information contact Cheryl Root.

Eagle Days Celebration

Additionally, the Eagle Days Along the Fox Committee has set several dates in January for the public to learn about and to enjoy watching the American Bald Eagles that make the Fox Valley their home. Mark these dates on your calendar and plan to participate in the events. Download Schedule.  Download brochure.

January 21-22  — various Eagle Education Programs at the Paper Discovery Center and the Neenah Public Library.  Also some guided viewing locations along the Fox River.

January 28 — various Eagle Education Programs at 1000 Islands Environmental Center.     Also guided viewing locations along the Fox River (Kaukauna locations only).

Download map of all viewing sites.

Eagles History Along the Fox River

Since the late 1980’s, wintering and nesting American Bald Eagles have returned to the Fox Valley. Given the fact that this species was classified as endangered both in Wisconsin and nationally in the lower 48 states, its return to prior numbers is significant.

When the American Bald Eagle was adopted as our national symbol in 1782 there were more than 100,000 nesting pairs of eagles in the country. Due to contaminants like DDT, PCB’s and other heavy metals polluting the Fox River and other waters of the continental United States, the Bald Eagle populations declined drastically. These contaminants entered the eagles’ food supply causing populations of the birds to drop to only 487 nesting pairs in the continental United States. Wisconsin’s lowest breeding population was 107 nesting pairs in 1974.

Eagle recovery had its roots in Wisconsin with the banning of DDT in 1970 triggering a national ban in 1972. Wisconsin through the WDNR assisted the national recovery by supplying eaglets to other states. Once endangered, American Bald Eagles are now listed as a “Special Concern Species” both in Wisconsin and nationally.

Other Eagle Viewing Opportunities throughout Wisconsin.