National Eagle Center located in Wabasha, Minnesota

I spent a wonderful fall weekend in Minnesota. Wabasha had a fantastic fall festival. They had the largest pumpkin contest. The winning pumpkin came in at 1193 pounds. People were selling their excellent fall harvest produce and lots of craft items.

My friend and I visited the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota. The Eagle Center is located just 80 miles south of the Twin Cities. Their admission is only 8.00 dollars for adults and $6.00 for Senior Citizens, and youth are $5.00, and three and under are free of charge.

I was very impressed with my visit to the Eagle Center. The visit was very informative and educational. Our guide was very knowledgeable. I was taken aback by the size of the Eagle’s nest. The nest is 8 feet wide by 4 feet deep—the Bald Eagle dwarfs most other raptors, including the Turkey Vulture and the Red-Tailed Hawk. The Eagle has a heavy body, a large head, and a long hooked bill. A Bald Eagle in flight holds its broad wings like a board. The female Eagles are 25 % larger than the males. Bald Eagles use forested areas for nesting and roosting. Their nest is located close to the water for good fishing. They scavenge dead animals and steal prey from other raptors if an opportunity presents itself. Their lifespan can be up to 28 years in the wild.

I saw four live Eagles that were living in the center. There were three bald Eagles and one Golden Eagle. The Eagles had been hit by cars or had been shot by hunters. One of the Eagles was blind in one eye. A female Eagle had one wing that was so severely damaged that she could no longer fly. I was surprised by how giant the Eagles were. When you see an Eagle soaring in the air, they do not appear that pretty large. One of the Eagles almost died from lead poisoning. Still, luckily, their veterinarian saved her life—The Eagles naturally were constantly very aware of what was happening around them.

They have a wonderful gift shop. They had calendars with pictures of Eagles, T-Shirts, Sweat Shirts, and many more wonderful gift items or souvenir items.

I would highly recommend attending the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota. Your family will be very impressed with looking at their Eagles and learning about these fine majestic raptors.