Eagles Days Programs at Smithville Lake

Annual eagle programs and sightings are back this January at Smithville Lake. Eagle Days will take place this Saturday and Sunday, January 8-9. 

This weekend’s events are hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Clay County Parks and Recreation Department, Missouri Department of Conservation, and their partners. Live captive raptor shows will be presented by Operation Wildlife. 

On January 8, the live eagle shows will be 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. On January 9, the live eagle shows will be at 11:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. The shows and other wildlife displays will be at the Paradise Pointe Golf Course complex at 18212 Golf Course Drive in Smithville. At Paradise Pointe, visitors can also learn where eagle viewing stations will be set up outdoors at the lake.

Eagles migrating from northern states travel through the area during winter. Their presence is dictated by weather and food availability. A long period of severe cold can cause them to move farther south. But the Kansas City region’s mixed winter weather often keeps eagles in the area during January and February. 

During freeze ups, they will be near open water such as at rivers or where large flocks of geese or ducks moving about on lakes have kept patches from freezing.

MDC has several other conservation areas and fishing access sites in the Kansas City area. The Cooley Lake Conservation Area in Clay County has both a wetland and a Missouri River access.

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story