Determined Eagle Gets a Fish

03/26/2012

Sometimes animals get frustrated just like people.  And like people, some animals are able to think their way out of frustrating situations and come up with unconventional solutions to their problems.

In the video below, a bald eagle is attempting to grab what looks like a dead fish** that's floating on the surface of water. For some reason, despite multiple attempts of swooping over and trying the pluck the fish up in its talons, the bird just a can't seem to get a hold of it.

But that doesn't stop this determined (and hungry) eagle.  Watch the video to see its clever and odd tactic in getting a meal. 

**UPDATE 3/27/12: Apparently the animal in the water isn't a fish, it's a nutria.  Nutria are large rodents native to South America that were introduced to the American South and are considered an invasive exotic species. 

 

My National Wildlife Federation colleage Roger DiSilvestro had this to say, and I couldn't agree more:

"What impressed me is that after two or three failed attempts, the eagle clearly changed tactics, going into a sort of hover and then trying to grab the object, which suggests that its behavior is not simply following a fixed action pattern. Also, the motion of swimming seemed as if the bird knew what it was doing, because it wasn’t just flapping wildly or mimicking flight movements but seemed to modify the use of its wings.  I am surprised and happy to see what appears to be flexibility of behavior.  Plus, fascinating to watch." 

More on Bald Eagles:

• Learn all about bald eagles
• Why bald eagles are no longer endangered
• Bald eagle recovery after near extinction
• Another Oddity: bald eagle knocks out power line with dead deer
• VIDEO: Eagle attacks eagle!
• VIDEO: Watch a wildlife rescuer give an injured bald eagle "mouth to beak" resuscitation 

Comments

[Rajagonda]

Its incredible dude....

[abdulkadeer]

specialisation/if u specialise to do some thing u do it better so what they have these eagles have like three to four tactics espesially while their looking for food and protecting themselves against predators thats why he went swmming my self i have never saw eagle swimming but after heavy prey he deside to use another way.

[Kathleen Schormann]

Just wonderfully amazing.