A bald eagle perches in northern Dickinson County. A Wisconsin group is offering virtual programming on eagles during January and February at www.ferrybluffeaglecouncil.org. (Betsy Bloom/Daily News photo)

PRAIRIE DU SAC, Wis.– Wisconsin’s longest-running bald eagle watching extravaganza is going virtual for 2021, with programming available in January and February.

Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Sauk Prairie area’s Bald Eagle Watching Days will be livestreamed. Bald eagle lovers will be able to see their favorite parts of this annual event from the comfort and safety of their own home during its 35th year.

Ferry Bluff Eagle Council s a co-sponsor of the event with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Sauk Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce and Tripp Heritage Museum.

“Our planned virtual programming will feature the release of a rehabilitated bald eagle to the wild, a live raptor show and many more of your favorite events and presentations,” said Jeb Barzen, FBEC president. “We’ll provide experts to answer your questions and show eagle watchers how they can safely visit the area and see the birds themselves using our new self-guided tour.”

The links and schedule for all programming can be found on the FBEC website, www.ferrybluffeaglecouncil.org.

Programming is a mix of live-streamed and pre-recorded events beginning at 1 p.m. Jan. 16 and 23 and Feb. 6 and 20.

“The shift from in-person to virtual events means people can view the events and presentations throughout January and February, instead of just in one weekend,” said Sumner Matteson, an avian ecologist for the DNR and event planning team member.

Those looking to see eagles in the wild also can visit the Sauk Prairie area on their own during those months. A self-guided tour using mobile devices is available on the FBEC website and guides people to prime viewing spots along the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway.

“We’re excited to offer people in Wisconsin and elsewhere a chance to enjoy Bald Eagle Watching Days in a new way and at their leisure in 2021,” Matteson said.

Bald Eagle Watching Days started in 1987 to highlight the growing comeback of bald eagles since their listing in the 1970s as an endangered species. Bald eagle populations in Wisconsin have grown from 108 occupied nests in 1973 to nearly 1,700 in 2019.