Each winter, bald eagles migrate to Kansas to nest near the state's largest lakes and rivers. The annual migrations give bird watchers ample opportunity to observe the large raptors.

Steve Prockish, a natural resource specialist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Tuttle Creek Lake near Manhattan, helps coordinate several Eagle Days in northeast Kansas to help people watch and learn more about the birds.

What type of eagle can people expect to see in Kansas?

Mostly what one sees in this part of the state are bald eagles, rather than golden eagles, Prockish said. Golden eagles are open-prairie birds that are more likely to migrate to central or western Kansas. Bald eagles are primary "fish feeders" that flock to open, unfrozen water. They also eat sick and injured waterfowl.

Kansas is a temporary home to about 1,000 eagles each winter, according to information compiled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Adult eagles weigh 8 to 16 pounds and have a wing span of 6 to 8 feet.

Where do they nest?

While most bald eagles nest in the northern United States, Alaska and Canada, Prockish said, "We do have some eagles that nest in Kansas. Maybe close to 30. Every year, those numbers seem to go up. So we're getting to the point that we have some year-round eagles." The greatest threats to eagles are pollution and loss of habitat.

When do the bald eagles arrive in Kansas, and when do they leave?

The eagles begin arriving sometime in October and it's not uncommon to see them through the month of March, he said. They start setting their eggs as early as January. "Like other raptors, they are an early-nesting bird," Prockish said.

The eggs hatch in 35 to 42 days, and the fledgling birds leave the nest around June or July. "The ones that overwinter will start leaving sometime in March," he said, adding if the weather is warmer than normal, the birds will leave earlier.

What do they use to make their nests?

"Sticks build the mainframe, and they line the nest cup with grass," Prockish said. Typically, the eagles use the same nest year after year and add additional materials to make the nest stronger. An eagle, which may live up to 35 years in the wild, will mate for life. He said a normal nest is 5 to 6 feet in diameter at the top; a nest that has added materials may reach 10 feet in diameter. An eagle nest can weigh as much as 4,000 pounds.

When are Eagle Days?

Eagle Days at Milford Lake near Junction are slated on Jan. 16 and 17. Various programs about raptors, nesting eagles and owls, as well as a live eagle presentation, will be offered. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 16 and 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 17. Buses for viewing the bald eagles at the lake will leave every half hour from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 16 and noon to 2:30 p.m. Jan. 17.

Other Eagle Days are slated Jan. 16 at F.L. Schlagle Library at Wyandotte Lake in Kansas City, Kan.; Jan. 23 at Perry Lake; and Jan. 24 at Free State High School Commons in Lawrence.