Eagles with locked talons get stuck in tree — until creatures swoop in, WA cops say
Two bald eagles were spotted in a tree in a precarious position until some helpful creatures swooped in.
A concerned witness called authorities when they saw the eagles in trouble, the Lake Stevens Police Department said in a March 17 Facebook post.
One bald eagle was seen hanging upside down with its wings stretched out and its talons locked to the other eagle, a photo shows.
Firefighters responded to the tree and began deploying a ladder from their truck. Then crows “swooped down on the entangled eagles,” police said.
The commotion from the crows caused the eagles to plunge 60 feet from the tree, according to police.
They stretched their wings as they soared to the ground and landed softly, police said.
Once on the ground, they were able to untangle their talons and fly back into the sky, police said.
Neither eagle appeared injured.
Lake Stevens is about a 35-mile drive north of Seattle.
Why do eagles lock talons?
Police said the eagles may have locked talons because of a territory dispute or a mating ritual.
When male and female bald eagles are courting, they might lock talons midair as they fly through the sky, according to the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance.
But male eagles can also entangle their talons if they are fighting each other over food or territory, the nonprofit said.
“The eagles are not held together over sheer stubbornness but by an inability to release their grip on one another,” the group said.
Sometimes the birds can untangle themselves, and other times they need help from wildlife experts — or, in this case, from crows just passing by.
This story was originally published March 19, 2024 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Eagles with locked talons get stuck in tree — until creatures swoop in, WA cops say."
