Fighting Eagles

Fighting or Locked Together?

Bald Eagles [Internet Photo]

Two weeks ago we had a very unusual scenario on the river by our house.  It was a very rainy, cold Friday and around supper time the rain was coming down in big droplets. We noticed a disturbance on the river bank and saw 5 eagles there in the trees and on the shore.  It looked like 4 adults and 1 immature.  They were screeching and chittering loudly and flying in short bursts from the area only to return.  

Watching from the window we could see a dark blob on the ground and possibly in the water.  The river was still iced over but there was about a half metre of water laying on the ice along the shoreline.  Although it was getting dark with the heavy rain and nearing the end of the day we could see the commotion seemed to be about a moving large dark object in the water.  Getting binoculars on it we could see it was two eagles in the water.  They were either locked together or fighting.  The others continued making a loud raucous from the shoreline or the trees overhead.  I couldn't tell if the bystanders were upset or cheering the eagles on.  

We decided to wait a few minutes and watch what happened.  However, if the eagles were indeed locked together then something had to be done to help.  I was picturing possibly a tangle in nylon rope or netting.  Getting to the eagles was a difficult task.  The snow was very deep and the steep hill covered in wet snow and ice would have to manoeuvred.  After watching them for 20 minutes we donned the heavy raincoats, high boots, sou'westers and leather gloves.  We took along garden rakes to use to bring the eagles into shore so we could check them for tangles.  

As we set out towards the cacophony we slowly picked our way through the heavy rain and deep snowbanks.  As I approached over the last hill, 2 eagles took flight from the trees above the two in the water.  The two immersed eagles were just that - 2 adult eagles completely immersed in the water on their backs at the edge of the river.  They were mostly still but at times would flounder as if trying to free themselves or kill one another, we weren't sure which.  What I saw as I got closer was a large black mass of feathers totally submerged with two white heads sticking up above the water, like a 2-headed monster.  As I drew close a third eagle took off from underneath the bushes on the shore, obviously a ringside seat. Both eagles looked exhausted and hypothermic.  They would just lie there in the cold water with their eyes closed.  I still could not tell for sure whether they were locked together or one was holding the other down. One certainly was not on top of the other although one eagle seemed to have its head put underwater periodically. 

Bald Eagles [Internet Photo]

As I drew close now, they were aware of my presence.  They did not change position but started struggling again.  Within 10 metres of them, they let go of one another and one eagle tried to escape.  After two bounces it extricated itself from the water and attempted to fly across the river ice which had pools of water lying on it.  The eagle bounced in and out of the pools of water as it tried to get air-borne.  It eventually made it to the other side of the river and out of sight.

The remaining eagle was still on its back and totally submerged except for its head.  As I prepared to rake it in for examination with great difficulty it flipped itself over and tried to get out of the water.  I could tell as it exited that it was not tangled so we backed off and let it slowly regain its strength.  It was one bedraggled bird!  It was totally exhausted and obviously very cold.   It shook itself many times and walked slowly down the shoreline to eventually perch on a stump.  After a few minutes it started to preen.  I knew then it would be OK.   We left the area, cold and wet ourselves but very glad we did not have to handle the eagles which we were prepared to do if necessary.  The eagle sat on the stump in the darkness for an hour and a half before flying off.  

We wondered what that eagle had done to warrant that kind of treatment.  One eagle was obviously aggressing on the other, even though that was not immediately apparent.  I felt our intervening saved the life of at least one eagle and perhaps two.  They had ahold of each other by the feet or possibly further up the legs.  They must have been punctured by those talons although we saw no evidence of it.  In all the photos I could find of fighting eagles on the internet the aggressor has the victim by the feet or legs.  That must be their way of fighting.  It certainly would assert dominance.  Doing this in the water and trying to drown the victim is what we had observed.  I had not heard of this before.  It seems a severe way to work out squabbles over territory, mates or food.  But, these are eagles after all.  I am sorry we have no photos of this encounter.  The circumstances were too extreme to carry along a camera.