A casual drive turned into an unforgettable moment for Tracie MacLeod last weekend, when she came across a jaw-dropping sight just outside La Broquerie—hundreds of bald eagles gathered in a farmer’s field.
“I was driving east from Steinbach on Highway 52, just past the old fire hall, when I looked over and saw what had to be over a hundred eagles sitting in a field,” said MacLeod. “I pulled over and took a photo right away because I knew no one would believe me.”
While it’s not unusual to spot an eagle or two in the area, this kind of mass gathering is far from common.
“I’ve noticed eagles around La Broquerie before, but never anything like this,” MacLeod added. “It was incredible. Just the sheer number of them.”
The sight has created a buzz among locals, drawing bird lovers and curious passersby to the area. To help explain the phenomenon, we reached out to Dennis Fast, a well-known wildlife photographer and birder from Kleefeld, who’s been following eagle populations in the region for decades.
A Comeback Story Decades in the Making
“Eagles were once incredibly common across North America—somewhere between 100,000 and 500,000 when settlers first arrived,” Fast explained. “But then their numbers started to drop off due to habitat loss and people shooting them.”
Things took a drastic turn for the worse with the introduction of DDT, a pesticide that caused eagle eggs to develop thinner shells, often breaking under the weight of the parent.
“By the early 1960s, the U.S. had only about 400 nesting pairs left,” Fast said. “But when DDT was banned in 1972, eagles began to make a slow comeback. Canada did well, and we even helped by sending young eagles to the U.S. to support their recovery.”
Now, those efforts are paying off. Fast estimates there are currently around 50,000 to 60,000 eagles in Canada and upwards of 70,000 in the continental U.S., not including Alaska, which boasts another 30,000 to 50,000.
Why So Many Eagles, Right Here?
So why are they all showing up in southern Manitoba?
“In spring, food sources are everything,” said Fast. “Southern Manitoba has a lot of roadkill, and large farms where livestock like chickens might be disposed of in open fields. That attracts scavengers, especially eagles.”
Eagles can travel long distances in search of food—up to 100 kilometers in a single day—but once they find a reliable food source, they tend to return to the same roosts.
“And most of the birds you’re seeing in these big groups are likely younger eagles,” Fast explained. “They don’t usually start nesting until they’re around four years old. Until then, they hang out in groups, looking for food and waiting for adulthood.”
Fast recalled a similar site years ago:
“There was a roosting spot west of Kleefeld where I counted 79 eagles in one day. A friend who lived nearby sometimes counted over 100 during the fall. These gatherings aren’t totally new, but seeing them in spring like this—and in such numbers—is still special.”
Majestic But Not Menacing
While a hundred large birds in one place might make some people uneasy, Fast says there’s nothing to worry about.
“Eagles are not aggressive toward people. They’re actually quite shy,” he said. “Though they can get used to people if they’re around often, like fishermen.”
He recounted a trip to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, where he saw eagles the way most Canadians see blackbirds.
“They were everywhere—on fence posts, rooftops, even in the parking lot,” he said with a laugh. “At one point, I counted about a hundred eagles all around a fishing dock. They get used to the routine—fish scraps from the boats—and they show up like clockwork.”
Awe and Fascination
Fast says it’s no surprise that people feel a deep sense of awe when they spot one of these powerful birds.
“They’re just majestic. When people see an eagle up close for the first time, they’re blown away by how big they are. Their wingspan can reach six or seven feet, and they have this incredible presence.”
He added that many people mistake younger bald eagles, who are mostly brown, for Golden Eagles, since it takes four years for them to develop the iconic white head and tail.
“Even James Audubon himself thought they were a different species at first,” Fast said. “That’s how different they look before they mature.”
From Here to the North
As for where these birds go next, Fast says many will eventually migrate farther north.
“Some will stay here if the food supply holds out. Others will head all the way up to Churchill or even beyond,” he said. “But if there's enough to eat, some won’t bother leaving at all. They’re incredibly well adapted to the cold.”
He added that there are even a few eagles that stick around all winter, with known winter roosts in forested areas in southeastern Manitoba.
So if you find yourself driving along Highway 52 near La Broquerie, or near Mitchell, Tourond or Kleefed, keep your eyes on the fields, you just might see one of nature’s great comeback stories taking flight.
*With files from Judy Peters