Will Letson the Golden Eagle make it to the Iron Bowl?

ByPat Byington
LAST UPDATED12/13/20

Reading time: 2 minutes

Facebook LinkedIn Tweet

Alabama Birding Trail — Photo of a Golden Eagle from AlabamaBirdingTrails.com

Will Letson the Golden Eagle, an eagle that is being monitored by Alabama wildlife officials, make it to Alabama in time for the Iron Bowl kickoff this Saturday?

This weekend, the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division posted a map of the eagle’s journey from Canada.

The folks at Wildlife and Fisheries also got a little creative with a Facebook comment about its potential arrival before the upcoming national college football showdown between top ranked Alabama and sixth ranked Auburn.

HERE BY THE IRON BOWL?? We study the winter ecology and movements of Alabama GOLDEN EAGLES. They are currently on the move migrating south from Canada, and 2 eagles that were previously radio-collared in Alabama have already checked in! Here is a map showing that our eagle named Letson has already made it to Pennsylvania!

Here is the map showing Letson’s current migration.

Golden Eagles — Graphic from Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries via Facebook

The Wildlife and Fisheries post reminded us of two important resources for people interested in birds and eagles.

The first is the Alabama Birding Trails.

Fall in love with birds

If you love birds, the Alabama Birding Trail’s website and Facebook page are the “go to” sites on the internet. Along with amazing photos from some of our state’s best amateur and professional photographers, the website contains helpful hints on where you can generally find our feathered friends.

Plan ahead – Eagle Awareness

If you are especially fond of eagles, each weekend between January 19 to February 18, 2018, Lake Guntersville State Park will be holding Eagle Awareness weekends. Now is the time to plan ahead and make lodging reservations at the park. Check out all the details – HERE.

Where to find wintering Golden Eagles

So where can you find Golden Eagles in Alabama once they begin wintering here? According to the Alabama Birding Trail website, in the past there have been individual Golden Eagles at Eufaula NWR in Barbour County, at the “hawk farm” near Guntersville Dam off US 431 in Marshall County (14+ miles west of Guntersville on 431, and 2.3 miles south on Guntersville Dam Rd., and in the Shoal Creek division of the Talladega National Forest.

And of course, the big question is:

Will Letson the Golden Eagle make it to Jordan Hare Stadium on Saturday?

Facebook LinkedIn Tweet

Pat Byington

Longtime conservationist. Former Executive Director at the Alabama Environmental Council and Wild South. Publisher of the Bama Environmental News for more than 18 years. Career highlights include playing an active role in the creation of Alabama's Forever Wild program, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Dugger Mountain Wilderness, preservation of special places throughout the East through the Wilderness Society and the strengthening (making more stringent) the state of Alabama's cancer risk and mercury standards.