They’re also found in unexpected places, like in fields far from any major bodies of water.
“They basically dwell and stay around some of the agricultural areas,” Weir said, pointing to the potential for there to be dead livestock on farms and feedlots. “Sometimes, the bald eagles being scavengers, they will feed on those.”
A gathering of bald eagles, known as a convocation, in the grasslands of Foothills County south of Calgary. The birds might hang out near agricultural areas to scavenge dead livestock. (Submitted to CBC by Avril Derbyshire)
When it comes to bald eagles in and around Calgary, Keating pointed to the results of the latest local Christmas Bird Count, a citizen science initiative in which people count how many birds they find in a particular area for conservation and population monitoring purposes. The total: more than 400.
“That’s unheard of a few decades ago,” said Keating.
Conservation success story
NatureCounts, a platform that compiles data from wildlife sightings and population trends through citizen science, suggests bald eagle populations have been on the rise throughout North America.