PUEBLO — “In Colorado, winter season is bald eagle season.”
A cold day along the Arkansas River Sunday makes for a tougher time bird watching, but for Pueblo resident Daniel Schell, he says he sees birds of prey on the water often.
“You can spot great horned owls, ospreys, and some other birds of prey. Turkey vultures and things like that," said Schell.
Pueblo's Raptor Center Manager Autumn Waylan says spotting bald eagles along the front range requires some patience.
“One of the best ways to actually spot them is by looking for waterfowl," said Waylan. "So things like geese and ducks they usually like to follow them around, because one: they know where all the open unfrozen water is, and two: they actually make a pretty good meal for them as well.”
Bald Eagles are seen as a success story in Colorado and across the nation.
“They’re actually deemed not endangered anymore," said Waylan.
But the bird still faces threats: lead poisoning and road kill being the biggest two in the Centennial State.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife data says there are about 300 nesting pairs across the state.
This bald eagle season may carry a little more meaning to some, as the bald eagle officially became the national bird on Christmas Eve.
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