Photo submitted to the Times Observer The 16th annual Eagle Watch Day at Kinzua Dam, hosted by the USACE, will take place on February 1. It will offer the public a unique opportunity to learn about eagles and other raptors from local experts. Tamarack Wildlife Center ambassador, Ruby, a red-tailed hawk, will be in attendance with her human handler at Eagle Watch Day.

The eagles are coming to the Kinzua Dam – and we’re not talking about the ones wearing green in Philadelphia.

The United States Army Corps of Engineers staff at the Kinzua Dam will host the 16th annual Eagle Watch Day on Saturday, Feb. 1. Bald eagle lovers can watch eagles soar above the Allegheny River and the adjacent reservoir from the wildlife viewing platform within walking distance from the Big Bend Visitors Center. Limited accessible parking is also available near the enclosed platform.

Visitors can also view avian ambassador shows at the Visitors Center featuring live birds and educational programs presented by Melissa Goodwill, outreach and education manager of the Tamarack Wildlife Center in Saegertown. Question and answer sessions will follow presentations at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

A few decades ago, the number of bald eagle nests in the state totaled three. Today, the count is 300.

Active bald eagle nests are found in many counties of Pennsylvania. Eagle Watch Day in Warren County celebrates the national birds as they gather in Warren County, a favorite wintering area. Raptors looking for fish typically congregate along open water areas below dams, such as the Kinzua Dam, where their growing presence has turned this into a bird-watching destination and is the inspiration for Eagle Watch Day.

According to Don Watts, local wildlife technician and master bird bander, and Dr. Scott Stoleson, research wildlife biologist of the Forestry Science Laboratory Station in Irvine, Pa., the time to see foraging eagles is in the early morning as they depart their nighttime communal roosts to feed along the river and two hours before dusk as they return to their roosts. When viewing eagles at this event, Watts and Stoleson encourage watchers to visit one of the staffed sites at the Kinzua project, such as the wildlife viewing platform or the banks of the river on their own. Both Watts and Stoleson, along with other volunteers, will be present to assist visitors.

The Kinzua Cachers said Eagle Watch Day will be a registered geomeet as it has been in past years. Geocaches will be located throughout the project, and those who locate all caches will be recognized.

Volunteers will be available at the platform and elsewhere to help visitors spot eagles and answer questions from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. All events are free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be available at the Visitors Center courtesy of the Allegheny Outdoor Club (AOC) and Kondak’s Market.

In addition, the USACE 2025 Eagle Watch is co-sponsored by the AOC, Kinzua Cachers, and Penn Soil Resource Conservation and Development Council. For additional information, call Bill or Mary Massa at 814-723-2568 or Don Watts at 814-730-9204.