Loess Bluffs to host 46th annual Eagle Days in Northwest Missouri this weekend
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A world of wildlife awaits Northwest Missouri residents this weekend from bald eagles and snow geese to trumpeter swans and hawks.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Missouri Department of Conservation will host the 46th annual Eagle Days event at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The free event gives families and wildlife enthusiasts the chance to explore a 7,350-acre ecosystem filled with migratory birds and waterfowl in the process of traveling south for the winter.
The two-day event also includes live eagle shows every hour courtesy of the World Bird Sanctuary, offering an up-close look at bald eagles that have been rehabilitated from injuries.
Dozens or even hundreds of bald eagles typically congregate at the Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge near Mound City where they can feed on fish and waterfowl. Besides eagles, visitors will be able to see wildlife at wetland pools such as trumpeter swans, geese, ducks, and shore birds.
Participants will see interpretive stops along a driving tour of the refuge wetlands with conservation partners and wildlife experts on hand to answer questions and provide information. Spotting scopes will be set up at key points along the tour route for visitors to spot wildlife far out on the marshes.
Friends of Loess Bluffs and other conservation partners will have outreach tables on display inside the visitor center. MDC staff, Missouri Master Naturalists, and Loess Bluffs staff will be welcoming visitors and interpreting nature exhibits.
Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge is located in northwest Missouri near Mound City. Take Interstate 29 to Exit 79 south of Mound City then travel south 2 ½ miles on U.S. Highway 159.
More information on the event can be found at mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/usfws-mdc-host-46th-annual-eagle-days-event-dec-6-7-loess-bluffs-national-wildlife-refuge.
