COCHITI LAKE, N.M., – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff at the lake will host their annual midwinter eagle survey, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026.
The event is free, open to the public and no pre-registration is required.
Volunteers are asked to meet at the Cochiti Lake Visitor Center for registration beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. The Cochiti Lake Visitor Center is located at 82 Dam Crest Road, Pena Blanca, N.M., 87041. Hot coffee and snacks will be provided during registration.
A presentation about eagles and other potential bird sightings will begin at 9:30 a.m. The count will start at 10:00 a.m. and end at noon.
All volunteers are asked to dress warmly and consider current weather conditions. Spotting scopes, binoculars, and/or long-range cameras are also recommended to aid in spotting eagles.
The purpose of the eagle count survey is to gather individuals to help count eagles along standard, non-overlapping survey routes as part of a nationwide midwinter bald eagle survey. It is also a great opportunity to encourage shared environmental stewardship efforts with the public to promote wildlife conservation. The basic objectives of the survey are to index the total wintering bald eagle populations in the lower 48 states, determine eagle distribution during a standardized survey period, and identify previously unrecognized areas of important winter habitat.
The annual midwinter survey represents a unique source of long-term, baseline data. Unlike nesting surveys, this provides information on both breeding and non-breeding segments of the population at a potentially limiting time of the year. The count has become a national tradition since 1984. In addition to providing information on eagle trends, distribution, and habitat, the count has helped to create public interest in bald eagles and their conservation.
Follow Cochiti Lake on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/USACE.Cochiti.Lake/
-30-