Four Rivers Center in Channahon hosts annual eagle watch

The Forest Preserve District of Will County’s 2025 eagle watch is about to take flight.

The annual celebration of bald eagles is set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, at the Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon.

“We’ll have lots of activities for the whole family indoors and outdoors,” Jess McQuown, a program coordinator at Four Rivers, said in a news release announcing the event.

“There will be s’mores around the fire and hikes to see the resident eagles across the river. Inside the building, families can make a craft and experience an eagle’s superpowers for themselves,” McQuown said.

In addition to eagle-watching, the event will feature live bird presentations by Hoo’s Woods Raptor Center. Two 45-minute sessions will be offered at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and a shorter 20-minute meet-and-greet is set for 12:30 p.m., according to the release.

“Hoo’s Woods Raptor Center will showcase a bald eagle as well as several owls,” McQuown said in the release.

Seating is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis, so those interested in attending should plan on getting there early, according to the release.

The event will included guided hikes, family crafts, an Eagle Eye Scavenger Hunt and food from Lil’ Deb’s Mobile Eats.

Three 40-minute guided hikes are set for 11:50 a.m., 12:55 p.m. and 2:20 p.m. Two 15-minute Talon Talks will be offered at noon (Eagles of the World) and 2:30 p.m. (Eagle Eyes and Other Awesome Adaptation), according to the release. Registration is not required.

Winter is the best time to look for Illinois eagles as they flock to open water to hunt, and the Four Rivers Environmental Education Center is in a perfect spot because it’s located where the DuPage, Kankakee and Des Plaines rivers converge to form the Illinois River, according to the release.

“People often dread colder weather at this time of year, but freezing temperatures bring bald eagles in large numbers to the water around Four Rivers,” McQuown said in the release. “We are lucky enough to have a breeding pair near the preserve, so it’s possible to see them year-round, but we can see them daily starting in the late fall.”

And no matter how cold the temperatures get, the eagles know they can fish in the McKinley Woods area where Four Rivers is located.

“The Des Plaines River is so large, deep and active with barge traffic. The water is always flowing, even when other rivers are freezing over,” McQuown said in the release. “Bald eagles have a diet of primarily fish, so they travel to where the water is open. Locally, that’s Four Rivers.”

The free, family-friendly eagle watch event will offer activities for children and adults.

Check out the “Bald is Beautiful” eagle shirt that is for sale on the forest preserve’s merchandise site, OutsiderThreads.com.