The 10th annual Wintering Golden Eagle Survey turned up fewer of the majestic birds than last year. According to the Rochester Post-Bulletin, 112 golden eagles were spotted, down from 132 observed last year.
The count was done on Jan. 18 by 171 observers scouring the blufftops in southeastern Minnesota, southwestern Wisconsin and northeast Iowa. Only 19 of this year's count were younger birds, when a quarter of the birds are usually not adults, according to Scott Mehus, the founder of the survey and education director at the National Eagle Center in Wabasha.
In addition to the goldens, spotters counted 878 bald eagles and 400 red-tail hawks.
