Each winter one of the most accessible and spectacular eagle gatherings in North America happens quietly in northwest Missouri. Bald eagles converge on the Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge — drawn by the open water of the refuge impoundments and the concentration of waterfowl that winter there. At peak season hundreds of eagles may be visible simultaneously — perched in bare cottonwoods lining the dikes, circling overhead, or dropping onto the water after prey. The refuge sits on the Missouri River flyway and the combination of loess bluff topography and managed wetlands creates ideal winter habitat. On the best mornings the trees along the main dike road hold so many eagles that branches bend under the weight.