Eagle Awareness Weekends return to Lake Guntersville State Park, Jan. + Feb. 2023

Get pumped bird enthusiasts, we have some exciting news! Annual Eagle Awareness Weekends—one of the most popular programs offered by Alabama State Parks—is back for its 37th year in January and February 2023. Read on for all the details.

About Annual Eagle Awareness Weekends

Hosted by Lake Guntersville State Park, Annual Eagle Awareness Weekends are a cool way to boost your knowledge and even see majestic eagles in their natural habitat.

According to Outdoor Alabama, the program began in 1985 to coincide with a bald eagle restoration program in Alabama that created due to a loss of habitat, pesticide use and poaching throughout the nation that were pushing eagle populations to the brink of extinction.

From 1985-1991, 91 bald eagles were released throughout the state and today, bald eagles are a more common sight in Alabama than in decades past.

What to expect during Eagle Awareness Weekends

Awareness Weekends will be held over three weekends in January and February. Mark your calendar for these dates:

January 20-23
January 27-29
February 3-5

Wondering what these weekends are all about? Here’s what takes place:

Live bird demos
Programs delivered by notable speakers
Guided safari trips to view eagles in their natural habitat

But there’s more! Each weekend event begins on Friday evening with a social and wine tasting, followed by an educational session on eagles in Alabama and a presentation by an Alabama State Park Naturalist.

Saturday agendas include more sessions by noted conservation experts, guided field trips to look for eagles, raptors and waterfowl in the wild and ends with a dinner buffet in the Pinecrest Dining Room.

Sundays wrap up the weekend with more guided field trips, an education program and a rare photo opportunity with live birds.

“The Eagle Awareness Weekends showcase one of Alabama’s most beautiful parks and gives people the chance to learn about an iconic species that captivates our imagination.

Our lodge, campground and chalets often fill up quickly for these weekends, so we encourage people to make reservations and join us at Lake Guntersville State Park for what we believe will be another amazing year of Eagle Awareness Weekends.”
Greg Lein, Director, Alabama State Parks