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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Canyon to Rul ison (about 7 mil es west of Rifl e) is considered a high use area. In 1979, 116 birds were counted in 7 helicopter flights. In 1980,120 birds were counted in 8 flights. The segment from Rulison to just above Rifle is a low use area with a total of 5 birds counted during both the 1979 and 1980 flights. The segment from Rifle to near New Castle is classified as a medium use area with 24 and 23 total birds counted during the flights in 1979 and 1980, respectively. The bal d eagl e can al so be found along stretches of the streams above Di 11 on Reservoir, near both Di 11 on and Green Mounta in Reservoirs, and along portions of the Blue River, but much less cOl1111only than along the Colorado River. The peak winter count of wintering bald eagles was 2 between Krerrmling and Green Mountain Reservoir (Fisher et ale 1981). No information was given for wintering eagles above Green Mountain Reservoir from that study. Ecology and Behavior Water is one of the major limiting factors affecting the distribu- tion of bald eagles because of the fact that fish are their primary food source (Broley 1947, Hancock 1966, Dunstan and Harper 1975, Knight et ale 1979). In Montana, 71 percent of wintering bald eagles were found to winter along major rivers, and cottonwood trees were preferred as roost sites (Swenson et al. 1981). This appears to be true for Colorado also; however, there are a few upland roosts by dry creek beds and along foothill drainages (CDOW 1983a). In addition to roosting near water, a vast majority of nests have been found in close proximity to water (Matheson 1968, Juneman 1973, Snow 1973, Robards and King 1966, Call 1978, Lehman 1979, Anderson and Bruce 1980, Grubb 1980). All 13 nest sites checked in 1982 in north- western Colorado were within 50 yards of a river (CDOW 1983b). - 33 -