Bald Eagle Watching In The Quad Cities

The Mississippi River is the perfect place for Bald Eagle watching during the winter time.

From December through early March, you will be in aw by the bald eagles that come to winter in the Quad Cities. With the Mississippi River running on the border of eastern Iowa, there are a lot of bald eagle spotting sites that will give you the best vantage point to view these America's national bird.

Near the locks & dams the water remains unfrozen, which allow the eagles to catch fish and trees on the riverbanks provide prime spots for nesting and perching. Make sure you bring your binoculars to see these majestic creatures all along the Mississippi River.

Here are the best viewing sites in the Quad Cities according to visitquadcities.com, but feel free to look in the wooded areas right on the banks of the Mississippi in any river town to see if you can spot the bald eagle.

• Lock & Dam 15, Schwiebert Riverfront Park, 17th St. & 1st Ave., Rock Island, Illinois
• Lock & Dam 15, 101 W. 2nd St., Davenport, Iowa
• Lock & Dam 14, 25549 182nd St., Pleasant Valley, Iowa
• Hyatt Place & Hyatt House (River Room on the 9th Floor) 111 Bend Blvd., East Moline, Illinois
• Illiniwek Forest Preserve, 836 State Ave., Hampton, Illinois
• Hampton Heritage Center, 251 S. State Ave., Hampton, Illinois
• Nahant Marsh, 4220 Wapello Ave., Davenport, Iowa

The Mississippi River Visitor Center on Arsenal Island offers four eagle watch tours in January and February. Eagle watch from the top of the historic clock tower to give you prime watching near Lock & Dam 15. The visitor center has spotting scopes set up. Click here for their live eagle cams.

According to visitquadcities.com,

In January, the QCCA Expo Center in Rock Island celebrates the arrival of the bald eagles with their annual Bald Eagle Days Environmental Fair and Wild Life Art Show. This year's event is January 10-12, 2020. The fair is open Fri. 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The festival features live birds of prey demonstrations, Quad Cities Audubon eagle tours, Jim Nesci's Cold Blooded Creatures show, Big Run Wolf Ranch, hundreds of information booths, fun activities and more. Admission is $6 adults; $1 kids 6-15; Free for kids under 6.