Fisherman Feeding A Giant Flock Of Bald Eagles Can Barely Believe His Eyes When He Looks To The Left

Dec 14, 2020

If you have ever fed a flock of pigeons or seagulls, you probably recall how greedy and pushy these feathered friends can be. In fact, seagulls have been well-documented snatching snacks straight out of tourists’ hands, and pigeons are not shy about demanding their treats either.

Yet in a video posted in 2013 from Dutch Harbor, Alaska, a fisherman proves that bald eagles behave much better than their smaller avian brethren as he tosses handful after handful of shrimp onto the deck and the giant birds of prey gobble them up.

Bald eagles are impressive beasts. With a weight averaging from 7 to 14 pounds, but an impressive wingspan that can soar from 6 to 8 feet in width, these carnivorous scavengers are not to be messed with.

Yet when the fisherman walks onto the deck of the fishing boat with a metal bowl full of shrimp, they know they are about to get a special treat. At first, the viewer notes approximately 10 birds scattered on the dock.

Remember the scene in Finding Nemo where all the seagulls gather and chant “Mine! Mine! Mine!” when they see Nemo and Dory? Well, imagine that but instead of seagulls, they are bald eagles and instead of Nemo and Dory, it’s a platter of shrimp. And oh, the eagles don’t speak.

They hop and squabble over the shrimp, but each eagle gets its turn snatching up a tasty treat. Yet when the camera pans to the left, the viewer is surprised to note at least a dozen more birds sitting patiently on the boat railing and then even more bald eagles posed on the ship’s mast!

While the fisherman did not bring enough shrimp for everyone, the other eagles do not appear to hold a grudge.

They probably manage to sneak a snack or two anyway from the fisherman’s daily catch as all of the birds appear well fed.

Since its posting on January 6th, 2013, the video has amassed over 8.7 million views, as of this writing. The video has invited many funny comments, many mentioning the connection between the eagle and its symbol for freedom. “So much freedom in one place,” read the top comment. “You should’ve had the National Anthem playing in the background instead,” another wrote.

According to Live Science, the bald eagle was chosen as the national emblem of the United States in 1787  because it is associated with authority and statehood.

Once you learn where most bald eagles can be found, seeing so many on that harbor would not be as surprising anymore. According to National Geographic, these magnificent birds are found most abundantly in Alaska and in Canada. Alaska.org shares that they can be found in the areas of Southeast Alaska, Prince William Sound, Southcentral coastal zones, Kodiak Island, and down the Alaska Peninsula to the Aleutian Chain.

Breeding and mating

According to National Geographic, bald eagles mate for life - the stick to one partner. A bald eagle pair would build a large nest made of sticks high above the ground and look after about two eggs every year. For a bird, their nests are one the world’s biggest. Young eagles or eaglets are dark in color. Before they reach five years of age, they will not have the distinctive white markings (the ‘baldness’) like their seniors do.

You have been tricked

Bald eagles may look intimidating but the sound of their actual call is far from it. Movies are incorrect when they play a rough, piercing scream coming out of a bald eagle. Instead of the screech that we are used to hearing from tv and film, bald eagles actually produce a sound that sounds like a high-pitched giggle or a flail scream in real life. Kind of underwhelming, right? Their real noises have been deemed so unimpressive that Hollywood sound editors replace them with sounds made by other birds that pass off as more powerful. Usually, the ones we hear in the cinema are that of a smaller bird, the red-tailed hawk, whose sounds are more scary.

Identifying a bald eagle

Britannica notes that the bald eagle is actually a type of sea eagle. But more interestingly, a female bald eagle is bigger than its male counterpart. Very few other animals can boast that fact. Females can grow up to a solid seven inches taller than the males and have wingspans of eight feet - about one and a half feet bigger than the males’. Scientists are not certain why this size difference exists. But it is speculated that the reason could be because of the nesting duties. 

“Females take the lead in arranging the nesting material, so being bigger might help them take charge. Also, they spend longer incubating the eggs than males, so their size could intimidate would-be egg thieves,” Mental Floss writes.

Both genders are dark brown in color and when they mature, develop a white head and tail. Because of their white head, they appear bald. They have yellow beaks, yellow, eyes, and yellow feet.

They are uniquely North American

Perhaps another good reason the bald eagle is appointed as the national emblem of the United States is that it can only be found in the continent of North America. Besides Canada and the U.S, the bird is also found in the northern parts of Mexico.

Its cousins are powerful in their own right

The bald eagle has seven close relatives that are sea eagles, too. One of its relatives, the African fish eagle, holds its own kind of power. Like the bald eagle, the African fish eagle is also used for nationalistic purposes. It can be seen on the coats of arms of several African countries, namely South Sudan, Malawi, and Namibia, and is also the national symbol of Zambia.

Do you enjoy feeding the birds in your neighborhood? Would you feel as comfortable as this fisherman tossing snacks out to a flock of hungry birds of prey? Take a moment and tell us about your own experiences in the comments below. If you found the sight of a full flock of eagles inspiring, pass this story onto a friend!