Mid-winter Bald
Eagle Count
The count is part of the National Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey that was initiated by the National Wildlife Federation in 1979. Over the years, the coordination of the national effort has changed hands a few times, and is currently managed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Most recently the survey at Lake Tahoe was coordinated by the USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.
In 2012, TINS took over coordination of the annual Mid-Winter Bald Eagle Survey for the Tahoe basin. From 9am-12pm, volunteers are paired up and stationed at 26 vantage points throughout the Tahoe basin, mostly around the lakeshore.
This year's, 46th annual count is scheduled for Friday, January 10th, 2025.
When registering, we ask that you provide the following information:
Preferred location
Are you a first time participant or a repeat participant?
Experience level (beginner, intermediate, expert) - we will do our best to pair folks with less experience with experts
Phone number / email
If you prefer to be paired up with a particular person, please provide their name
An adult Bald Eagle eats an Eared Grebe at Pope Beach.
Bald Eagles typically take five years to achieve full adult plumage. This individual is typical of a juvenile hatched the previous year.