If it seems like you've noticed more bald eagles flying around in Manitoba lately, you're not alone, says one expert&nbsp;— there really are more eagles in our skies right now.

This is the time of year when&nbsp;eagles usually make their way back north, but the local population of the birds has also swelled over the last number of years, according to Jim Duncan,&nbsp;former&nbsp;director of Manitoba's Wildlife and Fisheries department.

"We're starting to see more eagles than we have in the past, and they're also starting to reoccupy some areas where they used to breed before the population declined," said Duncan.

Manitoba's bald eagle population started declining, as did the population of other birds,&nbsp;because certain pesticides were getting into the food they ate, which resulted in eggs breaking or hatched birds not surviving, Duncan said.

Bald eagles taking flight in Morris, Man.

Manitobans might be able to watch bald eagles around thawing rivers, as they stop for food on their way back from down south.

But since those pesticides were banned, and protections for the birds were put in place, the populations have&nbsp;grown over the past decade or so, he said.

Right now, many eagles can be seen on the thawing rivers around Manitoba, since those rivers provide a source of food that the birds&nbsp;congregate around, Duncan said.

The dark art of finding who's hooting the night away in Manitoba forests

Christian Artuso packs a long-lens camera and binoculars into the car just in case, but it's his headlamp and ears that will really come in handy when trying to locate elusive owls in the dark in eastern Manitoba.

Into the night in search of elusive Manitoba owls

Artuso found this boreal owl during another survey on Feb. 11, 2018.

Boreal Owl, Manitoba, Feb. 11, 2018

After nearly three decades of sending volunteers into the dark with ears peeled, Manitoba's Nocturnal Owl survey just wrapped another successful spring monitoring back-country Prairie roads and boreal forests for owls.

'This is our life support system': Habitat loss in Manitoba's grasslands a significant threat, experts warn

Potentially disastrous habitat loss in Manitoba’s southern grasslands threatens the region's biodiversity, experts warn — and the humans who rely on it.

A colourful bird flies over yellow grass.

The chestnut-collared longspur is one of two globally threatened bird species that migrates to and breeds in the new important bird area. There were 230 of the birds detected in surveys in 2015.

Chestnut collared longspur 

One of the prairie birds that is most threatened by the loss of grasslands habitat is the chestnut-collared longspur. Christian Artuso, a biologist with Bird Studies Canada, says it's estimated the longspur population has dropped roughly 90 per cent since the mid-1960s.

"As the ice thaws, these kind of fresh, frozen fish become available to eagles as they're migrating," he said.

"When fish spawn, they enter into shallower waters and … they concentrate there, and it's kind of&nbsp;a great place for bald eagles to hang out and get easy food."

Eagles tend to gather near food, said Duncan. Here a subadult bald eagle (younger than five years old) is seen eating.

Bald eagles/Peregrine Falcons Morris Manitoba

All of that provides a good chance for bird-watching, says Duncan.

"It's kind of a great opportunity for people to see the birds, but also some great behaviours such as aggressive interactions between individuals, depending on how hungry they are, their age, or sex," he says, noting&nbsp;female eagles are bigger than males.

Duncan says people who want to learn more about bald eagles&nbsp;(and other&nbsp;birds) should consult&nbsp;the 

Manitobans might spot eagles, like this one seen earlier this week south of Morris, Man., flying around thawing rivers, says one local expert.

Look up: More bald eagles soaring in Manitoba skies, says expert

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