I was recently invited by Dr. J. and Robert Atchley (from the Muskogee Shutterbugs Camera Club)to visit the Grey Snow Eagle House (Bah Kho-je Xla Chi) in Perkins, OK.

We were given a tour of the facility, were allowed to take pictures of the Bald and Golden Eagles. We learned some new things about eagles. For instance, in Mongolia, the Golden Eagle is used to hunt wolf and fox.(See Video Below).

The Iowa Tribe has created a program and built a sanctuary for injured Bald Eagles. Grey Snow Eagle House currently has 35 non-releasable eagles (7 Golden Eagles and 28 Bald Eagles) in residence, which are cared for by an Aviary Manager, 6 staff members and volunteers. The aviary manager is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services certified eagle rehabilitator and an Iowa Tribal Elder. The Tribe has successfully rehabilitated eight Bald Eagles and released them back into the wild. To date, the Iowa Tribe has received +6700 visitors from around the world.

“The current caging at the facility consists of a two quarantine cages, one main flight cage, two side mews, a mini flight and a rehabilitation cage. The main flight cage is 100ft long by 25ft wide and 18ft high with the two side mews that run parallel with it. The mini flight cage is 100ft long by 24ft wide and 14ft high. The rehabilitation cage is 150ft long by 25ft by 18ft high. We must have a variety of different cages so that we can house the birds according to their abilities in each of the different cages.”

For tours-405-334-7471

Tours are booked by appointment only for Saturdays and Sundays from 10-3. School groups are welcome to book a tour on Thursdays by appointment only. It is recommended that you call at least three weeks in advance to ensure that you will be able to obtain your desired day for weekends and at least 6 weeks in advance for school groups wishing to book a Thursday.

The best time of year to view the birds is spring-mid summer and fall-early winter. We do shut down the facility for tours once the heat index is a consistent 100 degrees every day. We also plastic wrap the facility in the winter to try to keep the wind off of the birds and the workers. These decisions have been made to insure the eagles are kept in good health and well being.

Admission is free, however, they do accept donations and I encourage you to help the Sanctuary out with a donation.

They have several videos on the website of Eagles being released back into the wild. Available here Eagle Release Videos

My favorite bird is the Bald Eagle. There are two species of bald eagle, a northern and a smaller southern race. From November through February is the time to view bald eagles in eastern Oklahoma. Peak times are Jan and Feb, which is now. Weather dictates the habits of the bald eagle, so call for accurate information on viewing. Oklahoma now has over 60 active nests for the bald eagle.

Here is a list of places where you can view the Bald Eagle:

· Lake Eufaula
· Fort Gibson Reservoir
· Lake Tenkiller
· Grand Lake (Twin Bridges State Park)
· Salt Plains NWR
· Kaw Lake
· Robert S. Kerr Lake (Sequoyah NWR)
· Keystone Lake
· Wister Lake
· Arcadia Lake
· Lake Altus (Quartz Mountain State Park)
· Chickasaw National Recreation Area
· Lake Texoma
· Lake Spavinaw
· Washita NWR
· Seqouyah National Wildlife Refuge

And a link to the Wild Life Dept’s Eagle Tour Information

Facts about the Bald Eagle:

The word “bald” originally meant “white-headed.” The scientific name, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, means “white-headed sea eagle” in Latin.
With a 6.5- to 7 foot wingspan, the Bald Eagle is one of the largest birds of prey in the world. Adults are 3 to 3.5 feet tall and weigh 8 to 15 pounds. Like many predatory birds, the female is larger than the male, but size cannot be used conclusively for identification. The bones of their wings are hollow.
Male and female Bald Eagles are identical in color. The distinctive white head and tail mark an adult, a sexually mature bird that is at least 4 to 5 years old. Younger individuals are almost solid brown, although a general mottling in the body feathers and a light coloration in the head and tail develop in older immatures. Both young and adult Bald Eagles have yellow legs. The young birds have a dark beak and black eyes, both of which turn bright yellow as they become adults.
Immature Bald Eagles often are confused with Golden Eagles, which are also nearly solid brown. One characteristic that sets the two species apart is the leg. The Bald Eagle’s legs are naked, while Golden Eagles have feathers all the way down to the talons. In flight, Bald Eagles soar with flat wings while Golden Eagles soar with their wings raised in a slight “V.”
Fish comprise the bulk of the Bald Eagle’s diet. In midwinter, dead or crippled waterfowl and other wildlife become important food sources.
The weight of prey items varies from tiny fish to larger carrion. An eagle would have difficulty carrying anything greater than its own weight, and eagle prey are most frequently within the 3 to 5-pound range.
Nests usually are built near the top of a large tree. Enlarged annually, a Bald Eagle nest can become the largest of any North American bird. The record nest measured 20 feet deep, 10 feet wide and weighed two tons!
Bald Eagles lay two (rarely three) white eggs each year. Both parents incubate the eggs for a 35-day period.
At 10 to 12 weeks of age, eaglets are fully feathered, nearly full grown and can fly from the nest.
Although the life expectancy of wild eagles may be 30 years, some have lived 50 years in captivity.
The Bald Eagle’s eyesight is estimated to be 5 to 6 times sharper than human eyesight.
Eagles fly 20 to 60 miles per hour in normal flight and dive at more than 100 miles an hour.

If you find an injured eagle, please contact:
Two who specialize in raptors are Gary and Kathy Siftar in northeast Oklahoma, www.okraptors.org at (918) 455-6627 or Rondi Large in central Oklahoma at WildCare, www.wildcareoklahoma.org at (405) 872-9338 .

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