What is the Merrimack River Eagle Festival and why should you check it out? This annual Massachusetts event will help you catch a glimpse so you can mark the bald eagle off your birding checklist.
The bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, is the national bird of the United States. Its range includes most of North America, from Alaska and Canada down to northern Mexico.
In the U.S., however, the bald eagle was a rare sight for many years. By the mid-1900s, habitat loss, illegal hunting, and the pesticide DDT had reduced their numbers to only 412 nesting pairs in the contiguous states.
Thanks to the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty, the 1940 Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the addition of the eagle to the endangered species list in 1967, and the banning of DDT in 1972, the bald eagle population was able to recover. Thousands of breeding pairs now survey their former territories.
The mystique of this magnificent bird has not waned, and many people travel great distances for a chance to see one in the wild. Massachusetts’ Merrimack River Eagle Festival is one such pilgrimage.
Merrimack River Eagle Festival: Will I Actually See a Bald Eagle?
When the Merrimack River freezes over, sightings are common. Other wildlife may also be present, including snowy owls, waterfowl, falcons, and seals.
You can learn more about this apex predator when you attend the 2020 Merrimack River Eagle Festival on February 15. Hour-long raptor shows featuring birds “great and small” will be held at the Newburyport City Hall at 10 am and 12:45 pm.
Raptor demonstrations will allow you to get up close and personal with eagle relatives at Joppa Flats and the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center from 11 am to 3 pm. At Joppa Flats, you can view live hawks, and live owls at Parker River. Both locations will feature family activities, arts, and crafts.
Birding programs are also held at Joppa Flatts on Wednesdays from 9:30 am to 12:20 pm and Saturdays from 9 to 11:30 am.
You can also visit “Eagle Hot Spots” where wild sightings are common or take a guided tour. Free guided eagle spotting will be held in Newburyport, Amesbury, and on Plum Island from 9 am to 4 pm. Maps will be available at the event. Or, you can opt for a guided van tour to view several locations. Van tour admissions are $10 per adult and $5 for children ages 6 to 17.
Are you hoping to land some amazing photographs or video of this celebrated animal? For $50, you can join a specialized photography tour hosted by Hunt’s Photo & Video from 9 to 11:30 am.
The Merrimack River Eagle Festival is presented by Mass Audobon’s Joppa Flats Education Center and the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.
This year’s festivities will be held on Saturday, February 15, 2020 in Newburyport and Amesbury, Massachusetts.
For more information, please visit massaudobon.org.
Check out our United States travel guides for more tips on where to go and what to see.
This article was originally prepared for New England Hospitality.
One part Lois Lane, one part Jimmy Olsen, one part Johnboy Walton, and a bit of that Clark Kent secret identity thing thrown in for good measure.
Cara Siera is a freelance writer and photographer with a passion for travel and exotic cuisine. Join Cara, her husband Marc, and one very spoiled German Shepherd on their next great adventure.