Winter is bald eagle season in Colorado: When, where, and how to spot them

Colorado’s bald eagle season is underway

Every winter, Colorado becomes home to thousands of bald eagles. While around 300 resident pairs live here year-round, winter migrations bring a surge of visitors, swelling the population to well over 1,000 birds across the state.

This seasonal influx happens because many bald eagles migrate from colder northern regions, where freezing waters and scarce prey make survival more challenging. In Colorado, open reservoirs, river drainages, and abundant prey offer ideal conditions for bald eagles.

But where should you look, and when is the best time to spot them?

Where to find bald eagles in Colorado

Bald eagles thrive near open water, where they can hunt fish and scavenge waterfowl. Large reservoirs, major river drainages, and wetland areas are prime locations to spot them.

Even highways and roads that follow rivers or low-lying landscapes can offer a chance sighting. On Colorado’s front range, bald eagles are frequently spotted in parks with large lakes, such as Cherry Creek State Park, Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge and Barr Lake State Park.

At Barr Lake State Park alone, as many as 100 bald eagles can be seen on a single winter day — soaring above the lake, perched in cottonwood trees, or resting on the ice.

If you want to up your chances of seeing bald eagles, get an account on eBird, go to the website, and follow these instructions:

• Click on “Explore” → “Species Map”
• Enter “Bald Eagle”
• In the “Date” section select a data range (December to February of 2024)
• In the “Location” field Enter the name of a location – (e.g. Boulder County, Colorado)
• Click “Show Map” and you should see something like the following:

The red markers on this eBird map represent documented sightings of Bald Eagles in the specified area during the selected date range (December–February, 2024–2025). Each marker corresponds to a specific location where a Bald Eagle was observed and reported by an eBird user. Those are good spots to start looking.

Migration: why do some eagles stay and others leave?

Migration among bald eagles isn’t as straightforward as you might think. Some eagles migrate long distances, while others stay close to their home territories year-round.

Young bald eagles are more likely to travel farther distances during migration. Satellite studies have shown that immature birds often establish their migration routes during their first few journeys, and they tend to retrace these routes year after year.

Breeding-age bald eagles fall into two categories: floaters and breeders. Floaters wander in search of nesting sites and mates, while breeders stay close to their territories year-round in regions with consistent food availability.

Young eagles vs. adults: how to tell them apart

Adult bald eagles are easy to identify with their iconic white heads and tails, contrasted against their dark brown bodies. However, younger eagles look quite different.

Immature bald eagles lack the white head and tail feathers. Instead, they have mottled brown plumage and can be mistaken for golden eagles.

Here are some tips: If you spot a group of eagles and at least one has the classic white head and tail, the younger, darker birds nearby are likely immature bald eagles. If you are near water, it’s probably a bald eagle. Golden eagles prefer open rangeland, higher altitudes, and are often found near cliffs and bluffs.

Here are three young bald eagle pictures that might be confused with Golden eagles or hawks.

What do bald eagles eat in Colorado?

Food availability plays a key role in bald eagle migration and habitat choice. In Colorado:

• Spring & summer: Eagles primarily hunt fish and prairie dogs.
• Winter: Eagles shift their diet to fish and waterfowl which gather in large flocks on lakes and reservoirs.

That said bald eagles are opportunistic feeders and will eat anything they can find, catch or frequently steal from other animals.

Conservation and protection laws

Bald eagles, once abundant across the United States, faced significant challenges that led to a drastic decline in their population by the mid-20th century. Habitat loss, illegal shooting, and the pesticide DDT wreaked havoc on their numbers. The effects of DDT were particularly devastating.

Most bald eagles live near water to access one their favorite foods: fish. But DDT, which had washed into the waterways and accumulated in the food chain, made the fish toxic. When eagles laid their eggs, DDT caused their eggshells to become so thin and fragile they couldn’t support the weight of a nesting mother and cracked prematurely. By 1963 bald eagles hit an all-time low, with only 417 nesting pairs.

Recognizing the urgency, the U.S. banned DDT in 1972. But the damage had already been done, and additional action was needed to save the species. Bald eagles were listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1978. This action provided the critical measures needed for the bald eagle to make its miraculous comeback. ESA provided support for captive breeding and reintroduction, protection of nesting sites during breeding season and enforcement against illegal killings.

Thanks to ESA, more bald eaglets hatched grew strong, and took flight. By 2007, the bald eagle population had rebounded enough to be removed from the endangered species list. Today, there are at least 316,000 bald eagles across the contiguous United States. It’s a powerful success story, not only for the bald eagle but the ESA itself, which boasts a 99% success rate in preventing species extinction.

Respect the eagles

If you head out to see bald eagles this winter, remember to keep a respectful distance. Stay on trails and heed warning signs about nesting birds.

A symbol of America

The bald eagle, a powerful symbol of strength and freedom in the United States for over 240 years, just got an official title: it’s now America’s national bird!

In December 2024, President Joe Biden signed a law passed by Congress to fix a long-overlooked detail. It was never officially declared the country’s national bird—until now.