Catching a glimpse of our breath-taking national symbol is relatively easy during winter months in Big Bear. There are some fantastic opportunities for excellent close-up photographs, too. Just look in the tallest trees around the lake near open water for perching eagles. Or, if the lake is partly frozen, look for eagles perched on the ice near small groups of ducks using the open water.

Human presence may distract or disturb the eagles — Try to limit your movements and don't make loud noises when they're nearby. If possible, remain in your car while looking at eagles — The car may act as a blind.

For more information:
Marc Stamer, Biologist USDA Forest Service
San Bernardino National Forest
Phone: (909)866-3437 x 3216 Fax: (909)866-8192
E-mail: mstamer@fs.fed.us

The San Bernardino Mountains support the largest wintering bald eagle population in Southern California. Eagles typically begin arriving in the area in early November and continue to stay in the area until early April. Numbers using the Big Bear Basin have fluctuated over the past 20 years, from lows of 2-5 to highs of 25-30.

Bald Eagle Census

The U.S. Forest Service has organized monthly winter counts since 1978. Observers are stationed around the mountain lakes for a simultaneous 1-hour census/mapping effort once a month December through March. Through this method, the Forest Service has gained information about high-use foraging, perching, and day resting areas, fluctuations of numbers, and changes in use areas depending on weather, ice, and lake level conditions. Concurrent censuses are conducted at Big Bear Lake, Baldwin Lake, Lake Arrowhead, Silverwood Lake, Lake Gregory, and Little Green Valley Lake.

Radio Transmitters

Nine winters ago, the Forest Service started a research project to learn more about what areas in the mountains are important for eagle foraging, perching, and night roosting. Fifteen eagles were caught and equipped with tiny radio-transmitters that allowed us to track their movements. Through radio-tracking, we learned that some of the same individual eagles return to the San Bernardino Mountains year after year. We also determined that there is a lot of movement of eagles between the different mountain lakes and that the lakes do not have distinctive separate populations — The eagles regularly move between Silverwood, Big Bear, and Arrowhead lakes. We have also learned that some of the San Bernardino Mountains' eagles travel to Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Canada, and even the Northwest Territories (about 2000 miles one-way!) for nesting.

Satellite Tracking

Scientists at Lake Silverwood have equipped some bald eagles with transmitters tracked by satellites. One of the eagles caught last winter returned to Big Bear Lake in early December! Current information regarding bald eagle migratory routes for these and other California eagles can be viewed from the University of Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group's web site E-Mail from Eagles.

Bald Eagle Success

Breeding populations of bald eagles in Southern California were extirpated by the late 1950s. Until reintroduction efforts began in the 1980's on Catalina Island, the southern-most nest site in California was in Lake County. Potential nesting habitat exists on San Bernardino National Forest lands adjacent to Big Bear Lake, Lake Arrowhead, Baldwin Lake, and Lake Silverwood State Park. The Forest Service will be monitoring these areas in the spring for future nesting attempts.

The bald eagle is a federally listed Threatened Species. It has full protection under the Endangered Species Act as well as the Bald Eagle Protection Act. Although once gravely threatened with extinction, the bald eagle population is now on the increase. Bald eagle populations have done so well in recent years that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service "down-listed" bald eagles from the Endangered status to the Threatened status. Captive breeding programs, reintroduction efforts, the banning of DDT, and public education have all helped in the recovery of this species. Last summer, President Clinton announced the beginning of the process to remove the bald eagle from the threatened species list — By next summer, it may be off the list and considered recovered!