Eagle Expo takes flight in Morgan City

It’s the majestic symbol of America, threatened with extinction through June 2007.

And in Morgan City Feb. 25-27, eagle enthusiasts will embark upon St. Mary Parish for the 5th annual Eagle Expo.

Louisiana is home to 284 active bald eagle nests, a large concentration of which resides in St. Mary and Terrebonne parishes. The three-day expo offers eagle enthusiasts tours of local waterways searching the treetops for the regal birds an opportunity to learn from some of the region’s top nature experts and wildlife photographers.

The event continues to grow each year, both in attendance and offerings, according to Carrier Stansbury of the Cajun Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau.

“We’re really excited about showing off all our region has to offer at this expo,” she says. “People are always surprised to see you can drive on the side of the road and see bald eagles here. Sometimes, we take that for granted.”

Highlighting this year’s expo Thursday, Feb. 25, is an optional workshop led by renowned wildlife photographer CC Lockwood. His work has been featured in prominent publications such as the Smithsonian Magazine and National Geographic Magazine. Following the lecture, participants will take an afternoon boat trip to Bayou Black to try out their newly learned skills.

Tours to view eagles are set for Friday, Feb. 26, and Saturday, Feb. 27. Participants can choose between a tour of the Atchafalaya Basin, Lake Verret, Turtle Bayou and Bayou Black. Each offers something different.

The Atchafalaya Basin, for example, is the nation’s largest overflow swamp with 10 distinct aquatic and terrestrial habitats. It is home to over 170 bird species – including eagles, 50 mammalian species, 40 reptilian, 20 amphibian species and 100 species of fin fish and shellfish.

Meanwhile, the Bayou Black tour meanders through oil and gas canals. Birds of prey including bald eagles, ospreys and various species of hawks call this place home. Tour-goers are also likely to encounter ducks, wading birds and songbird species.

Lake Verret and Bayou Magazille tours have included sightings of blue heron, snowy egret, great egret, white ibis, belted kingfisher, red-tailed hawks, double-crested cormorants, anhinga, American white pelicans and an occasional Peregrine falcon.

And the Turtle Bayou tour, which follows two small natural bayous, has turned up eagles, anhingas, double-crested cormorants, red-shouldered hawks, white ibis, yellow-rumpled warblers, Carolina chickadees and various species of terns and gulls.

On Friday evening, Kurt Mutchler, the chief deputy director of photography for National Geographic Magazine, will join attendees at the Petroleum Club of Morgan City. A 15-year veteran of the magazine, Mutchler oversees the editing the publication’s photographic content.

And on Saturday, speakers include Deborah Fuller with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; Donna Dittmann and Steve Cardiff with the LSU Museum of Natural Science; Melanie Driscoll with the Audubon Gulf Coast Initiative; and Bill Clark, a birds of prey enthusiast.

The registration fee is $90 for adults, $45 for children, and includes attendance to the seminars, one boat tour, the Thursday night welcome reception, Saturday’s breakfast and a commemorative T-shirt.

One-day registration for Saturday only is $65 for adults or $35 for children. The price includes the seminars, boat tour and breakfast.

To learn more about the Eagle Expo, visit https://eagles.btnep.org or www.cajuncoast.com, or call Stansbury at (985) 395-4905.

The Eagle Expo in Morgan City includes boat tours to view eagle nests and the opportunity to learn from some of the region’s top nature experts and wildlife photographers.