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Each fall, as areas in the north freeze, thousands of bald eagles migrate south
from Canada and the Great Lakes states in search of open water.
Some eagles will travel as far south as the Gulf Coast.
During a recent winter, more than two-thousand bald eagles were reported in Missouri.
A few are usually seen in the state by mid-fall but most arrive in December.
In some cases, a bird will return to the same location each winter.
At waterfowl areas, eagles feed primarily on dead and injured waterfowl.
At rivers and lakes, fish make up most of their diet.
A few remain in Missouri to nest, but most begin moving back north again in late February.
Eagles are one of the largest birds of prey in the world.
Their life expectancy in the wild is about 30 years, while some bald eagles have lived up to 50 years in captivity.
They fly 20 to 40 miles per hour in normal flight, but can reach speeds of more than 100 miles per hour while diving.
Their vision is five to six times sharper than human's.
When it was adopted as our national emblem in 1782, the bald eagle flourished in numbers,
and nesting bald eagles were common in Missouri.
Since that time, their numbers have declined drastically.
Pesticides and habitat destruction nearly wiped-out the eagle population.
They began making a comeback after DDT was banned in 1972 and a restoration program was started.
During the 1980s, more than 70 young bald eagles were released from artificial nests in Missouri.
This program, plus the eagles natural tendency to return to its former nesting range,
has enabled eagles to once again nest in the state.
Eagle nests are found throughout Missouri,
mostly in southeast and west-central parts.
They are usually built in the top of a giant sycamore tree.