Finding Winter Open Water Habitat for Bald Eagles
During winter, bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) tend to congregate around any open waters within ice-covered rivers and lakes in the upper Midwest in their search for fish. Open waters can range from a small stream or stormwater outlet a few meters across to many kilometers of open water such as along the Mississippi River. Ice formation rapidly changes from day to day depending on weather patterns, currents, and thermal inputs from power plants. Ice can form and thaw in a matter of hours.