Coming in hot…
For the most part, nobody walks around worrying about things falling from the sky. Maybe you get rained on, or maybe a bird drops an unexpected splat on your shoulder, but you’d never in a million years expect a fish would come flying from the clouds. But somehow, that’s exactly what people at a backyard BBQ in South Carolina experienced when a bald eagle swooped down with a good-sized fish in its talons and sent it falling like a missile into their fence.
Of course, South Carolina’s vast network of coastal estuaries, winding rivers, and massive inland reservoirs like Lake Marion make it an absolute paradise for birds of prey. When it comes to fishing, two apex predators completely dominate the skies over the Palmetto State: the osprey and the bald eagle.
Also known as the “fish hawk,” the osprey is the only raptor in North America whose diet consists almost entirely (99%) of live fish. Unlike bald eagles, they will often hit the water hard and go completely under to snag a fish.
And because they rely on such a specific, slippery prey, they have evolved the most highly specialized feet in the avian world. Most raptors have three toes pointing forward and one pointing backward, but ospreys possess a reversible outer toe. The moment they hit the water, that toe swings to the back, giving them a two-forward, two-backward grip that works to securely hold big fish.
That extra grip allows ospreys to maneuver the fish into a head-first position, making it more aerodynamic and easier to fly with.
Bald eagles, on the other hand, tend to glide over the surface of the water and snatch a fish up on the go. And because they don’t have those special talons like ospreys do, they scavenge, or sometimes even steal, WAY more food than they hunt for. But make no mistake, that grip strength is second to none, and they will absolutely go fishing if the opportunity arises.
Of course, anyone who has ever caught a fish knows how much they can thrash when they’re out of the water. So despite the crushing grip of these raptors, they can occasionally wriggle free in flight. Especially a larger fish like a bass or a catfish…
It’s unclear what kind of fish was on the menu in this viral video, but it appears to be a bald eagle (the white tail and white head are the giveaway) darting across this backyard. With the family just casually hanging by the pool, grilling their own dinner, they never expected what happened next.
The bald eagle seemingly lost its grip, and the fish went flying through the air before smacking the wooden fence with a solid thud. It was LOUD. It fell to the ground where it continued to flop around, meaning it had to have just been caught. This understandably shocked group were now treated to a nice fish to throw right on the grill.
The funniest part of the whole thing was one of the guys’ reactions to the fish landing in the yard.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to catch all week.”
Fishermen everywhere can relate to that.
Even when relaxing in the backyard, you gotta keep your head on a swivel.
Bald Eagle Steals Fisherman’s Catch Right Off The Line
Anybody that likes to fish has experienced “the one that got away.”
A fish that hits the lure hard and fights tough but ultimately never winds up in the net, hauled ashore, or pulled into the boat. Sometimes the line breaks, sometimes the hook slides out of its mouth, and sometimes a bald eagle swoops down, grabs the fish with its talons, and flies off into the wind to eat your fish.
Ok, maybe that last one isn’t all that common…
Getting robbed by a bald eagle is exactly what happened to a fly fisherman near Sitka, Alaska, last summer. The angler was reeling in an Arctic char on a picturesque wilderness stream when a bald eagle swooped down from the trees, snatched the char, and took off for the sky.
The guy holding the rod could do nothing but stand there in awe as the line unspooled rapidly off of the reel. The eagle eventually ripped the fish right off the hook, and the fisherman found some solace in the fact that the eagle ripped the fish clean off the hook, so at least it didn’t steal his fly too.
His disbelief at what he was witnessing is exhibited perfectly by his colorful language. I imagine losing the fish is worth capturing incredible footage like this on camera.
So the next time you go fishing in the Last Frontier remember that bald eagles are more prevalent in Alaska than anywhere else in the world. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the state is home to an estimated 30,000 of the birds.
While the bald eagle has been the national emblem of the United States since 1782, the species has been a spiritual symbol for Alaska Natives for far longer than that.
Eagles are primarily fish eaters, and Alaska’s widespread waterways and world-class fisheries offer excellent habitat and provide abundant food sources for the birds, which is why the state is home to such robust eagle populations.
One eye on the line, and one eye on the sky…
