Fly to Puxico for MDC Eagle Days on Feb. 3

PUXICO, Mo. – Celebrate the majestic bald eagle with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Friends of Mingo Swamp, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, World Bird Sanctuary, and Puxico School District during free-to-attend Eagle Days events on Feb. 3 in Puxico!

“Thousands of raptors are migrating south from their nesting range in Canada and the Great Lakes states to hunt in Missouri,” said MDC Conservation Educator Sally Hancock. “Now is a great time to visit Puxico.”

Witness the grace and power of these magnificent birds up close during breathtaking 45-minute raptor shows at the Puxico Activity Center! Expert handlers will be on-site showcasing various raptors and their behaviors, habitats, and the importance of conservation efforts.

Raptor shows will be offered at these times below, ending with a photo opportunity:

• 9 a.m.
• 10:30 a.m.
• 12:30 p.m.
• 2 p.m.

Shows are free to attend with no registration required; seating is limited and is available on a first come, first served basis.

“Attendees can visit eagle viewing stations within the surrounding area and meet with expert guides to spot eagles in their natural habitat,” Hancock said.

Opportunities to view bald eagles in the wild – with the assistance of volunteers and spotting scopes – include the following locations:

• Mingo National Wildlife Refuge
• Duck Creek Conservation Area
• Wappapello Lake

“Be sure to visit the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center and Wappapello Lake for an eagle photo exhibition, educational displays,” she added. “The Show-Me state is one of the leading lower 48 states for bald eagle viewing because of Missouri’s big rivers, many lakes, and abundant wetlands.”

Puxico Activity Center is adjacent to Puxico High School, just off Highway 51.

For Eagle Days event questions, contact Mingo National Wildlife Refuge at 573-222-3589, or by emailing MDC Conservation Educator Sally Hancock at Sally.Hancock@mdc.mo.gov.

Eagle Watching on Your Own

Can't make an MDC Eagle Days event? Other local events and hot spots for winter eagle viewing include:

• Duck Creek Conservation Area north of Puxico on Highway 51 in Stoddard
• Mingo National Wildlife Refuge on Highway 51 in Stoddard County
• Lake of the Ozarks at Bagnell Dam Access east of Bagnell
• Lock & Dam 20 in Canton
• Lock & Dam 24 at Clarksville
• Lock & Dam 25 east of Winfield
• Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge south of Mound City
• Moses Eagle Park in Stella
• Old Chain of Rocks Bridge south of I-270 off Riverview Drive in St. Louis
• Riverlands Environmental Demonstration Area east of West Alton
• Schell-Osage Conservation Area north of El Dorado Springs
• Smithville Lake north of Kansas City
• Stockton Lake near Stockton
• Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge south of Sumner
• Table Rock Lake and Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery southwest of Branson
• Truman Reservoir west of Warsaw
• Wappapello Lake’s Eagle Point in southeast Missouri

For more information on bald eagles, visit the MDC online Field Guide at mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/bald-eagle.

Learn more at mdc.mo.gov/events/eagle-days, and visit MDC online at mdc.mo.gov/events by searching “Eagle Days.”