Bald Eagle Spotted in Horner Park

Block Club’s Alex Hernandez reported in January about Bald Eagle sightings over the Chicago River in Horner Park.

Married couple Brian Holdampf and Amy Rescigno spotted the eagle Saturday afternoon while they were at their home, which sits along the North Branch of the Chicago River opposite Horner Park. 

“I thought I’d seen an eagle before Saturday in the area, but [I] said to myself, ‘That’s crazy,’” Holdampf said. “But this time it stayed out for a little bit to stalk a fish and then caught it before a seagull chased it off.” 

Staff at Burning Bush Brewery, 4014 N. Rockwell St., have also seen the bird hanging out near the river in the mornings, brewery owner Brent Raska said.

“There’s a big nest that’s right across the river from us, as well,” Raska said.

Between December and March, Illinois becomes a destination for more than 3,100 bald eagles as part of their southernly winter migration, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 

The regal birds prefer to hunt near water habitats like rivers and lakes because they primarily eat fish. When water systems further north freeze solid, they head to comparably balmy Chicago and the rest of Illinois to continue hunting, said Matt Igleski, Chicago Bird Alliance executive director. 

Bald eagles visiting the city during the winter are likely coming here from as far away as Canada’s Yukon Territory or Hudson Bay, Igleski said.

But it’s rare to see bald eagles this far north in Chicago, Igleski said.

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