Once an eagle is up in the air, its wide wings allow it to stay up with less work. When an eagle comes across a thermal, it can use this rising hot air to really climb. By circling over the middle of a rising thermal, a bald eagle can just spread its wings, allowing the warm air to lift the eagle to heights up to 3 miles above the surface of the earth. You can watch bald eagles soaring high this winter. Head for places with open water where the birds can catch fish like the Wisconsin River at Sauk City.
Some communities sponsor special winter bald eagle watching days.