More than 1,000 bald eagles, the largest concentration in the lower 48 states, are spending their winter in the Klamath Basin, the nation’s number 10 “birding hot spot,” according to Wild Bird magazine.

Having traveled from as far away as the Northwest Territories in Canada and Glacier National Park in Montana, the eagles scavenge for waterfowl during the day and find sheltered roosts at night in the Klamath Basin, along the California-Oregon border. The eagles feed on the marshes of the Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges, which are part of the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The other refuges in the complex are Bear Valley, Clear Lake, Klamath Marsh and Upper Klamath.

From December to mid-March, the most spectacular viewing is during the dawn “fly-outs” of large numbers of bald eagles from their night roosts in Bear Valley as they head to the marshes to feed.

The Klamath Basin’s annual Winter Wings Festival celebrates these magnificent eagles, as well as more than 100 other bird species that winter in the Klamath Basin. This winter’s festival, on February 16-19, will feature guided tours from birding experts, workshops, displays, and activities. Visit http://www.fws.gov/scripts/exit.cfm?link=http://www.winterwingsfest.org&linkname

=Winter%20Wings%20Festival%20Web%20Site for more details.

For more information, contact the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex, (530) 667-2231.