Subject: [Tweeters] Bald Eagles' Double-Teamed Attack
Date: Nov 11 21:17:09 2007
From: Carol Ledford - uskestrel at yahoo.com


Yesterday (Saturday), at Ridgefield NWR (~4mi W of I-5 at Exit 14 in SW Washington; http://www.fws.gov/ridgefieldrefuges/), I watched two adult Bald Eagles cooperatively hunt and take a sitting duck in the middle of Rest Lake. First one, then the other eagle would swoop in and attack the duck, striking at it, causing the duck to dive in an attempt to get away from them. After about a dozen strikes, the duck could no longer avoid the eagles, and succumbed. The lighting was poor at this angle, and the best I could determine was that the duck may have been a ring-necked duck. The whole thing was very interesting, yet a bit sad, to watch. I've not previously seen this sort of cooperative hunting by birds.

Carol Ledford
Gresham, Oregon


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