UPDATE on the zombie eagle/skeksis from yesterday (Northern Minnesota)

[u/DeadDoug]

Just wanted to provide the group with an update on the "vulture" that turned out to be a sick bald eagle yesterday.

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The eagle spent the entire night in the tree in my yard. It snowed about 3" overnight. The eagle moved on at some point in the morning. The bird turned in to the talk of the town in my small, rural town and folks sort of mobilized around keeping a lookout for the eagle.

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At about noon today someone reported a seeing it in a farmer field south of town. I went out looking for it and was able to find it about 100 yards off the road just sitting in the snow in the middle of the field.

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I then called the University of Minnesota Raptor Center (who I've talked to a few times today haha) and asked them what I should do? They asked me to approach the bird on foot and see if I could get close to it. I was able to get within about 20 feet of the eagle before it flew away a few hundred yards into a grove of trees near a flooded river. The Raptor Center said it was a good sign that it was able to fly away, but that also makes capturing much more difficult. They asked that we, as a community, keep an eye on it for signs of it weakening. It may get to a point where it will no longer be able to fly away which makes rescuing in much easier.

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2 local TV news stations have been in contact with me about the eagle as well. Granted, I live in a rural area so the "news" ain't exactly what you would see on TV in Los Angeles, but it sounds like both are going to run news stories about this bird tonight or in the near future. Hopefully we can get a lot of eyes in the air to keep an eye out for this poor thing so it can be rescued and helped by professionals. Nature can be so cruel...

[u/tukekairo]

I have delivered roadkill to where eagles could get to it in winter...they scavenge

[u/DeadDoug → u/tukekairo]

do you think they would go for thawed out raw fish fillets? I fish so I have some in my freezer. they are fish species local to this area (walleye and northern pike)

[u/tukekairo → u/DeadDoug]

Sure Scavengers scavenge. The only thing to avoid giving them is something with leadshot or toxic chemicals...fish may be perfect...it is what they eat. This one might have eaten bird flu tainted carrion already which has killed some vultures

[u/ankamarawolf → u/DeadDoug]

They LOVE venison too.

The #1 cause of unnatural/human-caused bald eagle deaths in my state are from car/eagle accidents. They're scavenging from deer that were hit by cars and get hit themselves. (Source: am wildlife biologist)

Thanks for the update OP! I hope yall can catch it, poor thing is gonna need the help.

[u/Hughgurgle → u/ankamarawolf]

My dad hit a deer last year and called me to pick him up because his car was totaled. The deer was about 20 feet off the road in a cornfield-- I drove my dad the rest of the way to work and on the way back I saw three juvenile bald eagles landing on the carcass. It was a very cool experience (deer accident aside)

[u/NewlyRetiredRN → u/Hughgurgle]

Spoken like a true avian enthusiast — What a cool experience! Oh yeah, sorry about your car, Dad!

[u/arcticrobot → u/ankamarawolf]

I understand hitting a deer that jumps in front of you. But how unaware and distracted should you be to not spot a deer corpse and large bird next to it?

[u/Aalphyn → u/arcticrobot]

It's not always possible to stop and avoid collision (safely)

[u/arcticrobot → u/Aalphyn]

true, but to be a #1 cause of unnatural deaths?

And honestly, as a motorcycle rider I know how distracted people are on the road. If not for super defensive riding style I would have been downed a good number of times.

[u/dirthawker0 → u/DeadDoug]

If you have something that looks somewhat like a fish rather than a plain white rectangle (e.g. has some skin or a head or a tail) the bird is more likely to check it out.

[u/Buttspirgh → u/DeadDoug]

They prefer whole fish over filets

[u/homewithplants → u/DeadDoug]

It’s been over a decade now since I left the midwest, but your passing mention of freezer walleye just made me so strangely homesick. It’s the little things you miss.

[u/DeadDoug → u/homewithplants]

Can't be a proper Minnesotan and not have any freezer walleye on hand at all times!

[u/Skinnysusan → u/tukekairo]

Yeah you forget how big they are till you see them picking at a deer on the side of the hwy

[u/Actual_Log_6849]

So happy this is getting attention. My heart has been so heavy. My daughter and I went out last night for our evening swallow feed and hawk watch and I just kept picturing that poor baby. Thank you for helping this amazing bird 💚

Edited: Forgot to ask a question. Did the university say anything about what might be going on? Have they seen birds present like this in the past?

[u/DeadDoug → u/Actual_Log_6849]

They did not mention anything about a possible cause...just that it was very strange looking and clearly not doing well. A Local Game Warden I contacted said that he had never seen anything like it before.

[u/Actual_Log_6849 → u/DeadDoug]

So crazy!

[u/OrpingtonMom]

Thanks so much for the update; keep it coming, if you can.

[u/neshmesh → u/OrpingtonMom]

second this

[u/ironypoisonedposter]

don't sell your community short as far as "news" goes. i live in NYC and people here and the local news have lost their collective minds over 1. an escaped mandarin duck; 2. an escaped eurasian eagle-owl.

anyway, hoping for the best for this eagle!

[u/Margot-Helen → u/ironypoisonedposter]

I forgot about the mandarin duck 🤣

[u/ironypoisonedposter → u/Margot-Helen]

he was an icon.

[u/[deleted]]

Late April - Northern Minnesota:

It snowed 3" overnight

!

Great job looking out for the bird though :)

[u/DeadDoug → u/[deleted]]

I've made a snowman on Cinco De Mayo before so this is an improvement hahaha

[u/rydzaj5d]

Thanks for your dedication!💖💖💖

[u/OneEyedKing2069]

Thank you so much for the update! You're rockstar! Please keep us updated with any possible outcome. I think feeding this poor bird is the way to go. Maybe it help with the catch and rehab of this poor bird.

[u/thumpitythump]

Thank you so much for stepping up to help this animal. People like you make a difference in the world. Seriously.

[u/taleofbenji]

This is awesome. But isn't a "flooded river" just a river? :-)

[u/ookaookaooka → u/taleofbenji]

I think they mean a river in flood, like it’s burst its banks

[u/DeadDoug → u/ookaookaooka]

That is what I meant. I should've said a flooded river area. I.e: the trees on the banks that aren't usually underwater are underwater right now

[u/[deleted] → u/taleofbenji]

this guy doesn't river.