Volunteers Needed for San Bernardino National Forest Eagle Census

The counts help track the majestic birds in the San Bernardino and San Jacinto mountains

If you have an eagle eye and a pair of binoculars, the U.S. Forest Service could use your help.

Outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers who want to help track the number of bald eagles that settle in the San Bernardino and San Jacinto mountains this winter are invited to take part in the Forest Service's 38th annual count. The winter eagle census is scheduled to begin Dec. 12 and continue on sporadic weekends through the first half of March.

Volunteers are needed to watch for activity in traditional nesting areas around Big Bear Lake, Lake Arrowhead, Lake Gregory, Lake Hemet, Lake Perris and Silverwood Lake. Participants need no prior experience -- just warm clothes, a pair of binoculars and an hour to spare for each count, according to agency spokeswoman Gerrelaine Alcordo.

She said each eagle count will be preceded by a brief orientation meeting at designated locations.

Eagles generally nest in the lakeside areas from late November to early April. Radio tracking devices attached to some birds show that, in a given year, they can migrate to the Inland Empire from as far north as Alberta, Canada.

Because of hunting and habitat destruction, the American bald eagle was nearly driven to extinction in the past century. The birds were declared endangered in the 1970s. However, with some 10,000 breeding pairs identified across the continental United States, they were removed from the Endangered Species List in 2007.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the eagle count at Lake Hemet is asked to call 909-382-2935; at Lake Perris, 951-940-5600; Big Bear Lake, or Lakes Arrowhead and Gregory, 909-382-2832; and Silverwood Lake, 760-389- 2303.

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Rangers noted that eagle counts will be cancelled during severe weather.

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