Bald eagles flocking to Saskatchewan as spring arrives

As some Americans search Google for “how to move to Canada” because of the political climate in the United States, America’s national birds are flocking north across the border with no questions asked.

Because of the snow melting and temperatures warming, bald eagles are making their way back to Saskatchewan.

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Stan Shadick, who runs birding tours with Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation, said birdwatchers in Saskatchewan might spot eagles at this time of year as they migrate north.

“We’re basically in the peak of the bald eagle migration season, so they’re simply migrating to nest in the boreal forest and lakes around northern Saskatchewan,” said Shadick.

“We’re simply seeing them on their way north. This is the time of the year when we see more bald eagles.”

Shadick mentioned that it’s not just a couple of bald eagles that call Saskatchewan home this time of year. In fact, the number of bald eagles in the province can reach into the thousands.

“They are migrating all over the province. Perhaps a few more might migrate near the rivers, because we have the South Saskatchewan River running roughly north-south in the Saskatoon area. We maybe get a slightly higher number of bald eagles because of our river geography,” Shadick explained, adding that large numbers of bald eagles can be found near La Ronge and lakes in northern Saskatchewan.

Shadick said there are likely some bald eagles nesting near Saskatoon, but the majority are just passing through the area, heading to the northern part of the province.

While pet owners might be concerned if they spot an eagle while out on a walk, Shadick said there’s really no cause for concern.

“They’re not interested in you,” he explained. “The bald eagle is mainly looking for fish. If there was an injured animal, it might come down and scavenge that sort of thing – or a dead animal – but for the most part, they’re interested in fish along the river.”

Shadick added that bald eagles aren’t the only type of eagle heading to Saskatchewan around this time of year. Birdwatchers might spot golden eagles as well.

“We see far more bald eagles than golden eagles. A lot of people misidentify immature bald eagles and call them golden eagles. If you see a golden eagle, it will have a golden head and you need to check a bird book for telling the difference between golden eagles and immature bald eagles, because immature balds have a dark head and that’s a very common misidentification that people make,” Shadick said.

“We do get both species, but by far the majority are bald eagles in our part of Saskatchewan.”