Is It a Sign? Huge Numbers of American Bald Eagles Come Together on Frozen Midwestern Lake

Is it a sign of America’s comeback, or just a little bit of cool luck? In any case, it was quite a sight as 40 bald eagles all landed on the same lake in Wisconsin, turning the body of water momentarily at least into the “Lake of America.”

Unfortunately, it seems as if no quick-thinking videographers captured the moment, but it was caught on a traffic cam:

Residents in Wisconsin observed an astonishing moment when dozens of bald eagles gathered on frozen waters.
The national bird of the United States typically catches people’s eyes when spotted in the wilderness. Its bold and natural beauty stands out, and its representation of strength and freedom is part of why this bird represents our proud nation.
Traffic cameras from the Department of Transportation in La Crosse captured a gathering of over 40 bald eagles on the frozen waters of the Black River.
Residents joked on the DOT Facebook post that the lake will now be renamed the "Lake of America" due to the large numbers of American Bald Eagles overtaking the area.

Although Wisconsin’s bald eagle population has been climbing after conservation efforts, another state—hint: home to RedState’s Ward Clark—has even more:

Despite the high number of bald eagles gathering at this location in Wisconsin, Alaska has the largest population of bald eagles in the U.S., with about 30,000 birds, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Speaking of Mr. Clark, he brought us the awesome story of three eaglets that were born recently in California—all caught on livecam. You can check in live on how they're doing right now:

Clark wrote:

It's great to see them rebounding. It's great to see the baby eagles. Maybe their resurgence will end up being a symbol, not only for a resurgence of our national symbol, but for 'Merica as well. My Mom always watched the Decorah [Iowa] eagle cam in her later years, sometimes for an hour at a time. Now I watch them for her. If you do likewise, check daily, because it's amazing how fast these babies grow.

After 240 Years, It's Finally Official: The Bald Eagle Is America's National Bird

Wisconsin’s eagle population has risen remarkably in recent decades:

In 1974 the agency documented 108 occupied bald eagle nests in the Badger State. In 2019 the number had increased to 1,684.
The DNR [Department of Natural Resources] no longer conducts the aerial nest surveys partly because the species is doing well...

A comparison of Wisconsin's occupied bald eagle nests in 1974 and 2019. The increase is attributed to the Clean Water Act pic.twitter.com/S0IS3UDghT
— Amazing Maps (@amazingmap) July 23, 2024

It's not just Wisconsin that has seen a dramatic comeback in the bald eagle population—it's nationwide:

The bald eagle was driven to the brink of extinction in the second half of the 20th century but for decades its population has been bouncing back due to one of the most successful conservation efforts in history...
According to the most recent national count, conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 2021, there are now more than 315,000 individual bald eagles in the US.

That's environmentalism done right; get the job done, without the extremism.

I’ve seen an eagle pair flying above a lake near Santa Barbara and scooping fish out of the water, and it was an amazing sight. But what about seeing 40 all together in one place? Now that would be something I’d like to witness indeed.

RedState isn’t just your go-to source for politics and news – we cover culture and sports and nature too.

Become part of the RedState team! Join RedState’s VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your membership today.