Winter is a great time of year to view bald eagles in the Chattanooga area. In January alone, more than 46 bald eagles were counted along the Tennessee and Hiwassee rivers from Oak Ridge to Chattanooga, according to Chris Simpson, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency biodiversity coordinator for Region 3.
The best time to watch for bald eagles in Tennessee is January and February, according to Simpson, who monitors the species for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge near Birchwood, Tenn., is a popular place to spot bald eagles. The refuge itself is closed from Nov. 15 to the last day in February; however, the Ken & Lil Dubke Observation Platform within the refuge is open year-round to the public.
Charles Murray, a member of the Tennessee Ornithological Society and resident of Birchwood, enjoys spending his winter days bird-watching at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge Observation Platform and helping visitors learn about the birds there.
“Last weekend, we saw eight immature bald eagles fly over the viewing area, and I saw seven at Hiwassee Island on Wednesday,” Murray, a former Hamilton County schools science teacher, said. “We see more in the fall and winter, when northern populations migrate here for warmer weather. They are not difficult to identify, although sometimes people confuse them with red-tailed hawks.”
Through the end of February, Blue Moon Cruises of Chattanooga will offer bird-watching trips by yacht to Hiwassee Island Wildlife Refuge, a comfortable way to see bald eagles and a variety of other birds at the refuge. The three-hour cruise departs from Sale Creek Marina each Saturday and Sunday. Reservations can be made at www.bluemooncruises.org.
Other popular bald eagle viewing areas in the Chattanooga area include the Raccoon Mountain Pumped-Storage Plant facility and along the Tennessee River, according to Hatcher. Statewide, the best place to view bald eagles is at Reelfoot Lake in Northwest Tennessee.
The American Eagle Foundation is headquartered at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, where their Eagle Mountain Sanctuary Aviary Exhibit and the “Wings of America” birds of prey show offer opportunities to view and learn more about bald eagles and other birds of prey. Visit the American Eagle Foundation website at www.eagles.org to learn more.
It’s not always been so easy to observe bald eagles in Tennessee, which is why biologists and wildlife enthusiasts celebrate and track their numbers today. Bald eagles are native to the state, but from 1961 to 1983, Tennessee had no known successful eagle nests largely because of the use of DDT, an insecticide that caused eagle eggs—and the eggs of many bird species—to become infertile or to develop thin shells that would break under the weight of the adults.
The use of DDT was banned in the United States in 1972 and in Canada in 1973. However, its impact on the bald eagle was lasting. On July 4, 1976, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially listed the bald eagle as a national endangered species.
The American Eagle Foundation is the caretaker for Challenger, a non-releasable bald eagle that has become somewhat of a celebrity. Since 1991, this majestic raptor has been an ambassador for his recovering species, performing free-flights at hundreds of events across the country.
Challenger was blown from his Louisiana nest during a storm when he was five weeks old. He was rescued and hand-raised by well-meaning people; as a result, he became human-imprinted for life and is unable to survive in the wild on his own.
As the first bald eagle in American history trained to free-fly in stadiums and arenas, Challenger has helped educate millions of people about the need to protect bald eagles.
To learn more about Challenger, visit the American Eagle Foundation website.
Bob Hatcher has watched the success story of this endangered species from its difficult beginnings. He began his career with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency in 1963 at the height of the bald eagle’s demise and oversaw the agency’s Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program from 1978 until his retirement in 2001.
“Bald eagles have made a lot of progress—it is gratifying to have seen them come back and to see how happy people are when they can view eagles,” said Hatcher, who continues his work to benefit bald eagles today through his work as a consultant with the American Eagle Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Pigeon Forge that works to protect the bald eagle and its habitat.
Hatcher attributes the successful return of bald eagles largely to the state’s “hacking” program, a method of placing young eaglets in artificial nests until they are able to fly and be released.
“In 1979, Ken Dubke sent me a newspaper article about an eagle hacking program in Georgia—the first in the Southeast—which led to us to start a program in Tennessee,” Hatcher said. “We didn’t have the money to do it, but we were naive enough to try. I still have that newspaper article.”
The first hacking site for bald eagles in Tennessee was Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, located in the northwestern section of the state. Forty-four bald eagles were released there between 1980 and 1988.
Through the dedicated efforts of many individuals and organizations across the state, 337 bald eagles have been successfully hacked in Tennessee between 1980 and 2011—more than any other state in the country, according to Hatcher.
On June 28, 2007, the bald eagle was removed from the federal "threatened" list.
Today, Tennesseans are able to watch and enjoy our national emblem soar triumphantly above the landscape. In 2011, biologists and bird-watchers celebrated 110 successful bald eagle nests across the state.
Jenni Frankenberg Veal is a freelance writer based on Walden’s Ridge. She enjoys writing about the natural world and exploration opportunities found within the southeastern United States, one of the most biologically and recreationally rich regions on earth. Visit her blog at www.YourOutdoorFamily.com.
