Bald Eagle Sightings Increase at Lake Tahoe After Low 2025 Count

Winter skies over Lake Tahoe were noticeably busier last week as volunteers spotted 23 bald eagles during the basin’s annual eagle count, a welcome rebound from the unusually low total recorded the year before.

The count, organized by the Tahoe Institute of Natural Science, drew more than 100 volunteers who fanned out to over 20 viewing locations around the lake. For three hours, participants scanned shorelines, treetops, and open water for the unmistakable white-headed raptors.

January is prime time for spotting bald eagles at Tahoe. During winter, the birds migrate south from colder regions such as Alaska and Canada, concentrating around large bodies of water that remain ice-free. Tahoe’s open water provides reliable access to fish and waterfowl, making it an ideal seasonal stopover.

Each annual count helps biologists track population trends and informs long-term conservation planning. While this year’s total was still modest, the increase was encouraging after the previous winter’s tally dipped to just 15 birds.

The resurgence also highlights one of conservation’s success stories. In the late 1980s, some Tahoe-area counts recorded zero eagles, a decline linked to pesticides that weakened eggshells and hurt reproduction. The eventual ban of those chemicals helped bald eagles recover nationwide.