Participants in the 15th Annual 2020 White Mountain Eagle Fest will learn the answers to these questions and more from eagle biologists, wildlife rehabilitators, naturalists, photographers and other outdoor enthusiasts at the White Mountain Nature Center (WMNC) on January 24th and 25th. This family-fun weekend activity mixes indoor programs with an outdoor field trip to observe our national symbol hunting and perching near Rainbow Lake, a short drive from the White Mountain Nature Center (WMNC). Other sponsors include the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD), Liberty Wildlife and Lazy Oaks Resort.

Eagle Fest begins with a Friday evening program from 6-8 pm at the WMNC with presentations and informal discussions with biologists and local photographers. The evening will also include a discussion of eagles in Native American cultures 

and relationships to many modern symbols, customs and human traits. Last year, Ramone Riley, the Cultural Resource Director for the White Mountain Apache Tribe, shared his vast knowledge of eagles and Apaches through slides, stories and actual historic artifacts. Episodes from the AGFD’s acclaimed “Wildlife Views” television series will be shown as well as recordings from the AGFD eagle cam at Lake Pleasant.

Friday evening will also offer participants the opportunity to help raise funds for the WMNC by purchasing eagle photographs taken by local White Mountain photographers. These talented artists will preview their works on the big auditorium screen on Friday night and then will take orders for different sized prints at reasonable prices. 

Liberty Wildlife, based in Tempe, is world-famous for their work rehabilitating injured wildlife and returning them to the wild for the past 30+ years. Wildlife that cannot be released back into their native habitats often become education birds used to teach the public about the biology and natural history of Arizona wildlife. A bald eagle being cared for by Liberty Wildlife will be part of their presentation on Saturday morning immediately following a program geared specifically for kids. Liberty Wildlife volunteers will also share details on how they take care of captive eagles and other wildlife in a program for adults and kids.

Biologists Kyle McCarty and Jennifer Pressler, with the AGFD Eagle Program, will once again provide an update on the status of the eagle population in Arizona. Even though bald eagles have been removed from the list of endangered species, they are still safely protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, allowing for continued increases in their numbers and a wider distribution. AGFD biologists have been documenting how many chicks learn to fly or fledge every year, sometimes using contracted biologists called “Nestwatchers.” 

The eagle program also actively manages the Arizona population by providing temporary area closures around nests to prevent human disturbances that could jeopardize the lives of that year’s productivity which sometimes includes three chicks in the nest but, more commonly, just one or two young ones. Some nests may not have official closures around them but the eagles are still protected from harassment and disturbance, especially during the nesting and chick raising season from March through July.

Golden eagles can also be seen soaring in the skies during this time of year when they migrate with bald eagles to one degree or another. They both scavenge on large carcasses and sometimes feed together but usually the golden eagles are more aggressive and chase off the bald eagles. Eagle Fest 2020 will include information on their ecology including where they nest, what they need to survive and how to identify them in flight. Golden eagles are less likely to be seen on area lakes as they prefer the more open country that is found north of Rim Country and the White Mountains.  

Weather permitting, high numbers of bald eagles stopping over in the White Mountains on their way a little farther south during migration often hunt ducks or perch near the shore at the Lazy Oaks Resort, Eagle Fest 2020 co-sponsor. They are not territorial in the winter like during breeding season and often congregate in groups of a dozen or more near the resort. The owners have graciously allowed the event to use their prime location to observe and take photos of wild eagles. The resort also has cabins available in case you want to locate your own night roost near where the eagles sleep. During the summer, eagles numbers drop as less than a dozen pairs actually nest and raise young in the White Mountains, not including the Fort Apache and San Carlos Indian Reservations. 

Participants will have a chance to see both adult and immature eagles, using either their own optics or with binoculars and spotting scopes provided by AGFD. Spotting scope adaptors will be used to show the field of view from the scope through a smartphone screen. Directions to the viewing area will be provided at Eagle Fest 2020. Field trip participants need to dress appropriately for the day’s weather which usually includes at least a little wind and brisk temperatures. The field portion may, unfortunately, need to be cancelled if weather conditions prevent observations.

Northland Pioneer College’s mascot, Ernie the golden eagle, will make an encore appearance this year and will be more than willing to pose for photographs as will the eagle ambassadors from Liberty Wildlife.

The White Mountain Nature Center supports its programs and facilities with memberships and donations so Eagle Fest 2020 is suggesting a $10 donation for adults on the Saturday program and guided field trip. Kids and the Friday night event are free. For more detailed information and a schedule, check the WMNC website (https://whitemountainnaturecenter.org), call (928) 358-3069 or follow the event on Facebook@AZGFDPinetop. The White Mountain Nature Center is located at 425 South Woodland Road, Lakeside, Arizona.