January 7, 2004

Bald Eagle Day Jan. 24 Features Raptor Viewing, Educational Displays

The public is invited to learn more about bald eagles and view the birds and other wildlife at the fifth annual Bald Eagle Day from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24, at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, 5657 Warm Springs Ave. The free event includes a variety of activities designed to allow the public to get “up close and personal” with America’s national symbol. Participants can use spotting scopes to view eagles and other wintering wildlife along the Boise River, see captive eagles, hawks and falcons displayed by their handlers, watch movies about eagles and use hands-on educational raptor displays. Bald Eagle Day is presented by the Idaho Bird Observatory in cooperation with the Idaho Shakespeare Festival and the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. Other organizations involved in the event include the Golden Eagle Audubon Society and the Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands. For more information, call Idaho Parks and Recreation at 334-4199. The Idaho Bird Observatory was founded in 1993 by Marc Bechard, a Boise State University biology professor, and by Greg Kaltenecker, who earned a master’s degree in raptor biology at Boise State, after it was discovered that the Boise Ridge is a major bird migration flyway. The ridge above the city of Boise supports one of the largest known concentrations of migrating raptors and migrating neo-tropical songbirds in the West, according to Kaltenecker, IBO director. The IBO is funded through donations to the BSU Foundation and other grants and provides many education, research and volunteer opportunities. -30- Contact Shelley Cumbridge Idaho Parks and Recreation 208 334-4199 Media contact Janelle Brown Boise State communications and marketing 208 426-1790