July 02, 2025
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Bald eagle population up 4%, midwinter count shows

A bald eagle soars above the Rock River near the lower dam in Rock Falls Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022. Dozens of the birds were seen nesting and fishing on the eastern point of Lawrence Park.

A bald eagle soars above the Rock River near the lower dam in Rock Falls Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022. Dozens of the birds were seen nesting and fishing on the eastern point of Lawrence Park. A foundation that counts the animals, announced Wednesday that its midwinter count shows a 4% increase in the Midwest population.

APPLE RIVER – The Eagle Nature Foundation released its annual midwinter bald eagle count, which showed an increase of 4% in the animal’s population.

The total count of bald eagles for the 2022 year was 2,170. In 2021, the count was 1,850.

The count was conducted Jan. 29-30 by hundreds of volunteer member from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, conservation organizations and private individuals throughout the area. The counts were conducted from Northern Minnesota to Tennessee and from Indiana to Nebraska.

This year, the count classified 1,594 as adults, 421 as immatures and 57 whose age could not be determined.

Hourly counts were conducted by some lockmasters on both Saturday and Sunday on the Mississippi River. The hourly counts helped volunteers determine how much migration was happening during the two count days, the foundation says.

The Eagle Nature Foundation, 300 E. Hickory St., Apple River, IL, can provide a full copy of the midwinter count upon request. Call 815-594-2306.

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